Section 4.

4 Laws of Logarithms

LAWS OF LOGARITHMS: If x and y are positive numbers, then

1. loga (xy) = loga x + loga y.
 
x
2. loga = loga x − loga y.
y
3. loga (xr ) = r loga x where r is any real number.

EXAMPLES:
1. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log2 4.
Solution: We have
log2 4 = log2 22 = 2 log2 2 = 2 · 1 = 2

2. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log 1000000.

Solution: We have
log 1000000 = log 106 = 6 log 10 = 6 · 1 = 6
√
3. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log7 7.
Solution: We have
√ 1 1 1
log7 7 = log7 71/2 = log7 7 = · 1 =
2 2 2
1
4. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log5 √
3
.
5
Solution: We have
1 1 1 1 1
log5 √ = log5 1/3 = log5 5−1/3 = − log5 5 = − · 1 = −
3
5 5 3 3 3
or
1 1 1 1 1 1
log5 √ = log5 1/3 = log5 1 − log5 51/3 = 0 − log5 5 = − log5 5 = − · 1 = −
3
5 5 3 3 3 3

5. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log4 8.

Solution: We have
3 3 3
log4 8 = log4 23 = log4 (41/2 )3 = log4 43/2 = log4 4 = · 1 =
2 2 2

6. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log3 270 − log3 10.

Solution: We have
 
270
log3 270 − log3 10 = log3 = log3 27 = log3 33 = 3 log3 3 = 3 · 1 = 3
10

7. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log2 12 + log2 3 − log2 9.

1
7. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log2 12 + log2 3 − log2 9.
Solution: We have
 
12 · 3
log2 12 + log2 3 − log2 9 = log2 (12 · 3) − log2 9 = log2 = log2 4 = log2 22
9
= 2 log2 2 = 2 · 1 = 2

EXAMPLES:
1. ln (x(x + 1)) = ln x + ln(x + 1)
 
x
2. ln = ln x − ln(x + 2)
x+2
 
x(x + 1)  
3. ln = ln x(x + 1) − ln(x + 2) = ln x + ln(x + 1) − ln(x + 2)
x+2
 
x(x + 1)    
4. ln = ln x(x + 1) − ln (x + 2)(x + 3)
(x + 2)(x + 3)
   
= ln x + ln(x + 1) − ln(x + 2) + ln(x + 3)

= ln x + ln(x + 1) − ln(x + 2) − ln(x + 3)

√
x(x + 1)1/2
   
x x+1
5. ln √ = ln
3
x + 2(x + 3)5 (x + 2)1/3 (x + 3)5
   
= ln x(x + 1)1/2 − ln (x + 2)1/3 (x + 3)5
   
= ln x + ln(x + 1)1/2 − ln(x + 2)1/3 + ln(x + 3)5

= ln x + ln(x + 1)1/2 − ln(x + 2)1/3 − ln(x + 3)5

1 1
= ln x +
ln(x + 1) − ln(x + 2) − 5 ln(x + 3)
2 3
 2√
x2 (7x − 14)1/3
  
x 3 7x − 14 
2 1/3

6. ln = ln = ln x (7x − 14) − ln(1 + x2 )4
(1 + x2 )4 (1 + x2 )4
= ln x2 + ln(7x − 14)1/3 − ln(1 + x2 )4

1
= 2 ln x + ln(7x − 14) − 4 ln(1 + x2 )
3
√
3
√ !
x2
−8 x3
+1
7. ln √ =
1 − x(x + 2) (x − 7x + 5)5
−3 6

2
 √ √ !
3
(x2 − 8)1/3 (x3 + 1)1/2
 
x2 − 8 x3 + 1
7. ln √ = ln
1 − x(x + 2)−3 (x6 − 7x + 5)5 (1 − x)1/2 (x + 2)−3 (x6 − 7x + 5)5
   
2 1/3 3 1/2 1/2 −3 6 5
= ln (x − 8) (x + 1) − ln (1 − x) (x + 2) (x − 7x + 5)
   
2 1/3 3 1/2 1/2 6 5
= ln(x − 8) + ln(x + 1) − ln(1 − x) + ln(x + 2) −3
+ ln(x − 7x + 5)

= ln(x2 − 8)1/3 + ln(x3 + 1)1/2 − ln(1 − x)1/2 − ln(x + 2)−3 − ln(x6 − 7x + 5)5

1 1 1
= ln(x2 − 8) + ln(x3 + 1) − ln(1 − x) + 3 ln(x + 2) − 5 ln(x6 − 7x + 5)
3 2 2

Change of Base
IMPORTANT FORMULA: For any positive a and b (a, b 6= 1) we have
loga x
logb x =
loga b
In particular, if a = e or 10, then
ln x log x
logb x = =
ln b log b

EXAMPLES:
log 23 3 log 2 3
1. log4 8 = log22 23 = = =
log 2 2 2 log 2 2
   
1 1 log 3−2 −2 log 3 2
2. log27 = log33 = log 33 3 −2
= = = −
9 32 log 33 3 log 3 3
or
log 32
   
1 1 2 log 3 2
log27 = log33 2 = log33 1 − log33 32 = 0 − log33 32 = − =− =−
9 3 log 3 3 3 log 3 3
     
1 1 1
3. log9 √ = log32 √ = log32
27 33 33/2
Now we can proceed in two different ways. Either
 
1 log 3−3/2 (−3/2) log 3 −3/2 3
log32 = log 32 3 −3/2
= = = =−
3 3/2 log 3 2 2 log 3 2 4
or
log 33/2
 
1 3/2 3/2 3/2
log32 = log 32 1 − log32 3 = 0 − log 32 3 = − log 32 3 = −
33/2 log 32
(3/2) log 3
=−
2 log 3
3/2 3
=− =−
2 4