WILLOW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Common Logarithms Notes

Common Logarithm

Our counting system is based on the number Properties of Logarithms

10. For this reason, a lot of logarithmic work
Property 1: Logarithm of the base
uses the base 10.
Definition
log a a  1
Logarithms to the base 10 are called For example, log3 3  1 , log10  1 , and
common logarithms. We often write log x or 1
log 1  1.
lg x to mean log10 x . 2 2
Property 2: Logarithm of 1 to any base
Common logarithms are widely used in log a 1  0
computation. Mathematicians have compiled
For instance, log3 1  0 , log 1 1  0 and
extensive and highly accurate tables of
2
common logarithms for use in these
log 1  0 .
calculations. Today we can easily find the
logarithm of any number to any base by using
a calculator or computer. Property 3: Logarithm of the product of two or
more positive numbers
log a  x  y   log a x  log a y
Be careful:
log a  x  y   log a x  log a y
For example,
 log 2 6  log 2  2  3  log 2 2  log 2 3
 1  log 2 3
 log 2 5  log 2 3  log 2 (5  3)  log 2 15.
 log 2 30  log 2  2  3  5
 log 2 2  log 2 3  log 2 5
 1  log 2 3  log 2 5
 1  log 2 10
 Property 4: Logarithm of the power of a
positive number Note
log a  x m   m  log a x
This property gives us the
following special cases:
Be careful:
1
 loga x 
m
 m  log a x 1. log a  n  log a x
xn
For example, m
2. log a n x m   log a x
 
 log 2 8  log 2 23  3log 2 2  3 1  3 n

 log3 5  log3  35 

1 1
 log3
243 3
 5  log3 3  5 1  5
3
 log 2 125  log 2 53  log 2 5 2
3
  log 2 5
2

Property 5: Logarithm of the quotient of two

positive numbers
x
log a    log a x  log a y
 y
Be careful
log a x log a b  log a c  log a d 
 log a x  log a y
log a y  bce 
 log a e  log a f  log a  
For example,  d f 
5
 log 2  log 2 5  log 2 3 As a numerical example , consider
3 log3 15  log3 5  log3 6  log3 2
 12 
 log5  0.12   log5    15  6 
 100   log3    log3 9  2
 5 2 
 3 
 log5    log5 3  log5  52  Remember that this property only applies to
 25  logarithms with a common base.
 log5 3  2
Example 11:
 log 2 10  log 2 4  log 2 5 
Express log 30 and log 3.3 in terms of p given
 log 2 10  4   log 2 5
log 3  p .
40
 log 2  log 2 8  3 Solution:
5
Notice that we can combine properties 4 and 5
to write expressions with addition and
subtraction of logarithms as the logarithm of a
single fraction. The addends form the
numerator of the fraction and the subtrahends
form the denominator, for example:
Property 6: Raising the base of a logarithm to
a non-zero power
1
log an x  log a x Note:
n
For example, As a result of property 6,
1 m
a. log an x   log a x
m
 log 4 3  log 22 3  log 2 3
2 n
b. log a x  log an x
n
1
 log 1 9  log31 9   log3 32  2
3 1

Property 7: Change of Base formula

logb x
log a x 
logb a Property 7.1:
For example, 1
log3 7 log 7 i) log a b  and
 log 2 7   logb a
log3 2 log 2
ii) log a b  logb a  1
log5 5 1
 log3 5   for a, b  0 and a, b  1 .
log5 3 log 5 3
Property 7.2:
log 2 5
 log 5  log a x log b x

log 2 10 log a y log b y
for a, b, x, y  0 and a, b  1 .
We can easily derive the following properties
from the examples we have studied:

PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMS:

If b, a, and c are positive real numbers, 5  6, and n is a real number, then:

1. Product: log  0 · 8 log  0  log  8 5. log   1

9
2. Quotient: log  log  0 ; log  8 6. Inverse 1: log   < 1
:

3. Power: log  0< 1 · log  0 7. Inverse 2:  =>?@ < 1, 1  0

4. log  1 0 8. One-to-One: log  0 log  8 if and only if 0 8

=>?A 9 =>? 9 =B 9
9. Change of Base: log  0
=>?A  =>?  =B 
Examples – Rewriting Logarithmic Expressions Using Logarithmic Properties:
Use the properties of logarithms to rewrite each expression as a single logarithm:
a.

2 log 
 log  
 4 b. 4 log  
 2 ; 3 log  
; 5
&

Solution:
a.

2 log 
 log  
 4 b. 4 log  
 2 ; 3 log  
; 5
&
log  
 2F ; log  
; 5# Power Property
log 
&  log  
 4⁄& Power Property
%G&H
log  D
& 
 4⁄& E Product Property log  %IJ Quotient Property

Use the properties of logarithms to express the following logarithms in terms of logarithms of
, , and K.

a. log  
&
b. log 
% L √
NO

Solution:
a. log  
&
log 
 log  &
Product Property
&P
b. log 
K
log 
 2 log  Power Property
log  Q
& P R ; log  K  Quotient Property

log  Q
& P R ; log  K  Quotient Property

log 
2  log  P ; log  K5 Product Property

2 log 
 log 
S
L
; 5 log  K Power Property