Subject : Mathematics

Date :
Objectives : Student will be able to finish problems related to logarithms.

1.5 Logarithms
Logarithms is defined by the following ilustration :
If a is a positive number (a > 0) and g is a positive number which is not equal to 1 ( 0 < g
< 1 or g >1), so that :
g
log a = x if and only if gx = a
g
log a = x we can read it : logarithm of a to the base g is x.
log a = 10log a
Example :
1. Change the following exponent into logarithms
1
a. 52 = 25 b. 30 = 1 c. 3-1 =
3
Answer :
a. 52 = 25  5log 25 = 2
b. 30 = 1  3log1 = 0
1 1
c. 3-1 =  3log = -1
3 3
2. Change the following logarithms into exponent
2 1
a. log 2 =
2

2 1
b. log = -3
8
Answer:
1 1
a. 2
log 2 =  2= 2
2 2
1 1
b. 2
log = -3  2-3 =
8 8

3. Find values of the following :

1
a. 7log49 b. 3 log3 c. 2
log 4

Answer:
a. Since 72 = 49 then 7log49 = 2
1
1 1
b. Since   = (3-1)-1 = 3 then 3 log3 = -1
 3
4

Since   4  12 
c. 2 
2

 = 22 = 4 then 2
log4  4
 

Exercice!
1. Change the following exponents into logarithms
 1
a. b. ab = c
2 = 2 2

2. Change the following logarithms into exponents

1
1 1
a. 2 log 2 b. 5 log  2
4 25

3. Find values of the following

1
a. 2 log b. 4
log 2 c. 10 log0.1
16

Subject : Mathematics
Date :
Objectives : Student will be able to finish problems related to logarithms by
using logarithmic formulae.

1.6 Logarithmic Formulae

Basic formulas of logarithms:
g
1. log gn = n
g
2. log g = 1
g
3. log 1 = 0

Logarithmic formulae:
a
1) log bc = alog b + alog c
b a
2) a
log  logb - a logc
c
Examples :
Find the values of
2
1. log 4 + 2log 8
5
2. log ½ + 5log 50
2
3. log 40 – 2log 10
4. log 0.04 – log 4

Answer:
2
1. log 4 + 2log 8 = 2log (4x8) = 2log 32 = 5
5
2. log ½ + 5log 50 = 5log ( ½ x 50) = 5log 25 = 2
 40  2
3. 2
log 40 – 2log 10 = 2log   = log 4 = 2
 10 

 0.04  1
4. log 0.04 – log 4 = log   = log 0.01 = log = log 10-2 = -2
 4  100

Formulae:
g
3) log an = n x glog a

Examples:
Find the values of:
1. 2.log 25 – 3.log 5 + log 20
2. ½ 2log 81 – 3. 2log 3 + 2log 48

Answer :
1. 2.log 25 – 3.log 5 + log 20 = log 252 – log 53 + log 20
  25 2 
= log  3 x 20  = log 100 = 2
 5 
1
2. ½ 2log 81 – 3. 2log 3 + 2log 48 = 2log 81 2 - 2log 33 + 2log 48

 12 
 81   9 
= log  3 x 48  = 2log 
2 x 48  = 2log 16 = 4
 3   27 
 

Exrcise!
Find the value of
6
1. log 3 + 6log 12
2 2 2
2. log + log 12
3
3
3. log 42 – 3log 14
6
4. log 9 + 2.6log 2 – 2.6log 6
5. log 48 – 2. log 2 – log 3

Subject : Mathematics
Date :
Objectives : Student will be able to finish problems related to logarithms by
using logarithmic formulae.
Subject :
Logarithmic Formulae:
p
g
log a
4) log a = p
log g

g
1
5) log a = a
log g

Example :
If 2log 3 = a, then express the following logarithm in term of a
2
a. log 9 c. 3log 2
8
b. log 3 d. 3log 4

Answer :
a. 2log 9 = 2log 32 = 2. 2log 3 (formula 3)
log 3 log3 log 3 1 log 3 1 1
b. 8log 3 = log 8  log23  3. log 2  3 . log 2  3 . log 3  3 a
2
(formula 4)

1 1
c. 3log 2 = 2
 (formula 5)
log 3 a

1 2
d. 3log 4 = 3log 22 = 2. 3log2 = 2. =
a a

g
6) log a x alog b = glog b
gn
mg
7) log a m = log a
n
gn
8) loga n  g log a

Example:
1. Find the values of : 2log 5 x 5log 64
2. If 2log 3 = a, then express the following logarithm in term of a
(i) 4log 81 (ii) 8log 27

Answer :
2
1. log 5 x 5log 64 = 2log 64 = 2log 26 = 6
22 4 2
2. (i) 4log 81 = log 3 4  . log 3  2a
2
2
23 3
(ii) 8log 27 = log 33  log 3  2 log 3  a
3

Exercise!
1. Find the values of:
a.  5
log 9  9 log 625

b.  3
log 36  6
log 27 
2. If 8log 3 = a, then express the following form in term of a
2
a. log 3 c. 32log (1/3)
4
b. log 3 d. 2log 3
9
3. If 2log 3 = p and 2log 5 = q, then express the following form in term of p and q
a. 6log 50 b. 18log 20