LOGARITHM FUNCTIONS

 Logarithm is an inverse function to exponential function, since an equation like 10 y =x cannot be

solved for y using the algebra properties, then a new symbol is introduced to represent this inverse
function.
 Thus, 10 y =x is equivalent to log 10 x= y ( read as “ log x ¿the base 10 equals y ” )

The key thing to remember about logarithms is that the logarithm is an exponent.
The rules of exponents apply to these and make simplifying logarithms easier.
In general, logarithmic form can be expressed in index expressions and vice versa,
logarithmic form Index form

y
log a x= y ⇔ x=a where, y is the
number, x is the index or power and
a is the base.

 Example: log 10 1000=3 since 103=1000

↑ ( read as “ log 1000 ¿ base 10 is 3¿” )
log 10 x is often written as just log x , and is called the COMMON logarithm.
log e x is often written as ln x , and is called the NATURAL logarithm. (note: e ≈2.718281828459 …)
 Furthermore,
0 1 2
10 =110 =1010 =100
Or log 10 1=0 log 10 10=1 log10 100=2
These are base 10 logarithms.

0 1 2
2 =1 2 =2 2 =4
Or log 2 1=0 log 2 2=1 log 2 4=2
These are base 2 logarithms.

PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMS EXAMPLES

1. log b MN =¿ log b M +¿ log b N ¿ ¿ log 50+¿ log 2=¿ log 100=2 ¿ ¿
Product rule.
Think: Multiply two numbers with the same base, add the exponents.

M
2. log b =¿ log b M −¿ log b N ¿ ¿
N

( )
log 8 56−¿ log 8 7=¿ log 8
56
7
=log 8 8=1¿ ¿

Quotient rule
Think: Divide two numbers with the same base, subtract the exponents.

P 3
3. log b M =P log b M log 100 =3. log 100=3 ×2=6
−1 −3
4. log b M =−log b M log 100 =−3. log 100=−3 × 2=−6
 Power rule
Think: Raise an exponential expression to a power and multiply the exponents together.

5. log b 1=0 Zero – exponent rule

6. If log b M =¿ log b N , then M =N ¿ One-to-One Property

CHANGE OF BASE FORMULA

log N log 5
log b N = , for any positive base. log 12 5=¿ =0.6476854 ¿
log b log 12

NOTE: Finding log values of other bases: log of the # ÷ log of the base.

Examples:
2 2
a) 3 =9↔ log3 9=2 b) log 5 25=2↔ 5 =25

c) Solve for x :
(i) log 5 x=−3 (ii) x=log 3 9 (iii) log x 27=3
−3
x=5 → x=
1
125
x= ( log
log 3 )
9
=2 3
x =27
3 3
x =3

∴ x=3 (equating bases)

(iv) log 3 ( 7 x +3 )=¿ log 3 ( 5 x +9 ) ¿ Since the problem has only two logarithms on
opposite sides of the equal sign, the problem can be
7 x +3=5 x +9
solved by dropping the logarithms.
x=3

(v) If log x 2−log 10=3 , find x : (vi) If 2=1.08 t , find t :

2
log x =2 log x log 2=t log 1.08

log 2
log 10=1 So, t= ; ∴ t=9
log 1.08

So, log x 2−log 10=3

2 log x−1=3

2 log x=4

log x=2
−1
x=log ( 2 ) ; ∴ x =2 (antilog of 2 is 100)

Find; a) log a 1=x b) log a 0=x c) log a−b=x

 ∴ a x =1 ∴ a x =0 ∴ a x =−b
x 0
a =a But there is no power of But there is no power
x=0 a which gives zero. of a which gives a –ve
∴ log a 1=0 ∴ log a 0 is not defined. ∴ log a (any−ve ¿)is
not defined.

EXERCISES
1. Express the following as logarithmic forms: 5. Solve for x : (do not use a calculator)
−3 1
a) 72 =49 b) 2 = a) log 2 x=3 b) log x 81=4
8
1
c) 161 / 4=2 c) log 2 ( x−6 )=3 d) log 25 x=
2

2. Express the following as index forms:

a) log 3 81=4 b) 3=log 10 1000
1
c) log 3 √ 27=1.5 d) log 27 3=
3
1
e) log 5 =−3
125

3. Evaluate:
a) log 10 10000 b) log 5 625
1
c) log 5 d) log 3 √ 3
5
−3 /2
e) log 2−2 f) log 4 8

4. Use your calculator to evaluate:

a) log 10 25 b) log 7 49
c) log 4 12

5. Solve for x : (do not use a calculator)

a) log 2 x=3 b) log x 81=4
1
c) log 2 ( x−6 )=3 d) log 25 x=
2
3 1 −2
e) log x √ 125= f) log x =
2 9 3
x
g) log 3 27 =4.5
2
h) log 2 x −¿ log 2 ( 3 x+ 8 )=1 ¿

6. Solve for x , use your calculator for an approximation of x in decimal form: (4d.p)
a) 7 x =54 b) 10 x =e
c) log x 10=−1.54

7. Using the logarithm properties, simplify the following:

 a) log 2 10+¿ log 2 a ¿
b) log 5 9−¿ log 5 6 ¿
c) log 2 5+¿ log 2 4−¿ log 2 10 ¿ ¿
d) log 2 128+¿ log 3 45−log 3 5 ¿
e) log b b −¿ log b √ b ¿
3

ANSWERS
Q1. a) log 7 49=2

1
b) log 2 =−3
8
1
c) log 16 2=
4

Q2. a) 3 4=81

b) 103=1000
c) 31.5 =√ 27
d) 271 /3 =3
−3 1
e) 5 =
125

Q3. a) x=4

b) x=4
c) x=−1
1
d) x=
2
e) undefined
−9
f) x=
4

Q4. a) x=1.3979

b) x=2
c) x=1.7925

Q5. a) x=8

b) x=3
c) x=14
d) x=5
e) x=5
f) x=27
g) x=1.5
h) x=−2∨x=8
Q6. a) x=2.0499

a) x=0.4343
b) x=0.2242

Q7. a) 10 a

3
b)
2
c) 1
d) 9
e) 6

GRADE 11 LOGARITHM EXERCISES ANSWERS:

1. Simplify: 1. a) log 4 2 x b) log 10 24

a) log 4 2+ log 4 x b) log 10 8+ log 10 3 c) log 5 2 d) 1 e) log 3 4 +¿ log 2 6 ¿
2 1 2
c) log 5 −¿ log 5 ¿ d) log 3 18−log 3 6 f) log 4 6+¿ log 5 ¿ g) log 10 324
3 3 3
e) log 3 20+ log 2 6−log 35 27 2
h) log 5 i) log 10 [ x ( x−1 ) ]
f) log 4 6−log 5 3+ log 5 2 4
g) 2 log 10 2+ 4 log 10 3 h) 3 log 5 3−2 log 5 2 1 1 2
j) 3 k) 2 l) m) 4 n) 3 o) p) q) 3
i) 2 log 10 x + log 10 ( x−1)
2 4 3
25 81
log 10 x
3
log 5 x log 3 √ x 2. a) 4 b) log 3 54 c) log 3 d) log 2
j) k) l) 9 8
log 10 x log 5 √ x log 3 x 2
e) log
x ( x−1)
10
100
log 2 (2 x+1)4 log 10 (1−3 x )3
m) n) o) 3. log 5 x +¿ log 5 y ¿ 4. 4 5. −log 5 3 7. log 3 4
log 2 (2 x +1) log 10(1−3 x)
log x 2
log x 16

log x 25 2 log 3 125

p) q)
log x 125 log 3 125
2. Express as a single logarithmic term:
a) log 2 64−2 b) log 3 6+2
c) 2 log 3 5−2
d) 4 log 2 3−2 log 2 4 +1
e) log 10 ( x−1 ) +2 log 10 x−2
3. log 5 xy is equivalent to: GRADE 11 LOGARITHM TO OTHER BASES
log 2 16
4. equals; To solve logarithmic equations to bases other than 10:
log 2 2 1) Simplify the equation using log laws.
3 2) Express in index form.
5. log 5 maybe written as; 3) Solve by;
9 a) Using a calculator
6. Show that log 3 4 +2−2 log 3 6=0 b) Equating powers
7. Solve log 3 x=−2+2 log 3 6 c) Equating bases
 d) If base is unknown, raise both sides of the x=4∨x=−1 (5) substitute the answer into the
indicial expression to the power of the given eqn to determine if any of these values will make
reciprocal of the existing power the fn undefined.
e) Take log10 (or loge) of both sides of the (6) state the answer.
expression. NOTE: When x=−1 , the fn will be undefined as you
cannot calculate the logarithm of a ¿< ¿=0
Examples: Solve for x:
∴ x=4
a) log 3 27=x
x GRADE 11 LOGARITHM TO OTHER BASES
3 =27 (1) write equation in index form
x 3
3 =3 (2) express terms with same lowest base To solve logarithmic equations to bases other than 10:
∴ x=3 (3) same base, equate bases 1) Simplify the equation using log laws.
2) Express in index form.
b) log 2 x=8 3) Solve by;
8 a) Using a calculator
2 =x (1) write equation in index form
b) Equating powers
∴ x=256 (2) solve for x using a calculator c) Equating bases
c) log x 256=4 d) If base is unknown, raise both sides of the
4 indicial expression to the power of the
x =256 (1) write equation in index form
1 1 reciprocal of the existing power
(x ¿¿ 4 ) =256 4 ¿
4 (2) to solve for x when x is e) Take log10 (or loge) of both sides of the
base, raise both sides to the power of the reciprocal of expression.
the existing power
Examples: Solve for x:
∴ x=4
a) log 3 27=x
d) log 2 x−¿ log 2 ( x−1 )=2 ¿
x
3 =27 (1) write equation in index form
x x 3
3 =3 (2) express terms with same lowest base
log 2 =2 (1) divide base numerals
x −1 ∴ x=3 (3) same base, equate bases
b) log 2 x=8
2 x
2= (2) express in index form 8
2 =x (1) write equation in index form
x−1
∴ x=256 (2) solve for x using a calculator
x c) log x 256=4
4= (3) solve for x
x−1 4
x =256 (1) write equation in index form
1 1
4 ( x−1 )=x (x ¿¿ 4 ) =256 4 ¿
4 (2) to solve for x when x is
4 x−4=x base, raise both sides to the power of the reciprocal of
3 x=4 the existing power

4 ∴ x=4
∴ x=
3 d) log 2 x−¿ log 2 ( x−1 )=2 ¿

e) log 4 x +¿ log 4 ( x−3 )=1 ¿

x
log 4 x ( x−3 ) =1 (1) multiply the base numerals
log 2 =2 (1) divide base numerals
x −1
1
4 =x (x−3) (2) express in index form
2 x
2
4=x −3 x (3) simplify and solve for x 2= (2) express in index form
2
x−1
x −3 x−4=0 (4) solve using quadratic
factorising x
4= (3) solve for x
( x−4 ) ( x+ 1 )=0 x−1
 4 ( x−1 )=x
4 x−4=x
3 x=4

4
∴ x=
3

e) log 4 x +¿ log 4 ( x−3 )=1 ¿

log 4 x ( x−3 ) =1 (1) multiply the base numerals
1
4 =x (x−3) (2) express in index form
2
4=x −3 x (3) simplify and solve for x
2
x −3 x−4=0 (4) solve using quadratic
factorising
( x−4 ) ( x+ 1 )=0
x=4∨x=−1 (5) substitute the answer into the
given eqn to determine if any of these values will make
the fn undefined.
(6) state the answer.
NOTE: When x=−1 , the fn will be undefined as you
cannot calculate the logarithm of a ¿< ¿=0
∴ x=4