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Logarithms Tutorial: Understanding The Log Function

Logarithms were invented in the early 1600s to aid scientists doing calculations by hand, and they helped fuel the scientific revolution by reducing calculation time. Logarithms model natural processes like sound intensity and earthquake scales, and are the inverse of exponential functions, with the logarithm of a number representing the power to which the base must be raised to equal that number. The document further explains the properties and applications of logarithms as well as how to convert between different bases.

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51 views13 pages

Logarithms Tutorial: Understanding The Log Function

Logarithms were invented in the early 1600s to aid scientists doing calculations by hand, and they helped fuel the scientific revolution by reducing calculation time. Logarithms model natural processes like sound intensity and earthquake scales, and are the inverse of exponential functions, with the logarithm of a number representing the power to which the base must be raised to equal that number. The document further explains the properties and applications of logarithms as well as how to convert between different bases.

Uploaded by

Devasish Sahoo
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Logarithms Tutorial

Understanding the Log Function

March 2003 S. H. Lapinski


Where Did Logs Come From?

 The invention of logs in the early 1600s fueled the


scientific revolution. Back then scientists,
astronomers especially, used to spend huge amounts
of time crunching numbers on paper.
 By cutting the time they spent doing arithmetic,
logarithms effectively gave them a longer productive
life.
 The slide rule was nothing more than a device built
for doing various computations quickly, using
logarithms.
There are still good reasons for
studying them.
 To model many natural processes, particularly
in living systems. We perceive loudness of
sound as the logarithm of the actual sound
intensity, and dB (decibels) are a logarithmic
scale.
 To measure the pH or acidity of a chemical
solution.
 To measure earthquake intensity on the
Richter scale.
How they are developed
 In the mathematical operation of addition we take
two numbers and join them to create a third 4 + 4
=8
 We can repeat this operation: 4 + 4 + 4 = 12
 Multiplication is the mathematical operation that
extends this: 3 • 4 = 12
 In the same way, we can repeat multiplication: 3 • 3
• 3 = 27
 The extension of multiplication is exponentiation: 3 •
3 • 3 = 27 = 33
More on development
 The exponential function y = 2x is shown in this
graph:
More on development
 Now consider that we have a number and we want to know
how many 2's must be multiplied together to get that number.
 For example, given that we are using `2' as the base, how
many 2's must be multiplied together to get 32? That is, we
want to solve this equation: 2B = 32
 Of course, 25 = 32, so B = 5. To be able to get a hold of this,
mathematicians made up a new function called the logarithm:
log2 32 = 5
Inverses
 This graph was created by switching the x and y of the
exponential graph, which is the same as flipping the curve
over on a 45 degree line.

2 log 2 a = a and log 2 (2 a ) = a


DEFINITION:
 The base a logarithm function y = logax is
the inverse of the base a exponential
function y = ax (a > 0, a  1)
How to Convert Between
Different Bases
 Calculators and computers generally don't calculate the
logarithm to the base 2, but we can use a method to make
this easy.
 Take for example, the equation 2x = 32. We use the change
of base formula!!  We can change any base to a different
base any time we want.  The most used bases are
obviously base 10 and base e because they are the only
bases that appear on your calculator!
Loga x Pick a new base and the formula says it is equal
Logb x = to the log of the number in the new base
Loga b divided by the log of the old base in the new base.
Examples
 Find the value of log2 37
 Change to base 10 and use your calculator. log 37/log 2
 Now use your calculator and round to hundredths.
= 5.21
 Log7 99 = ?
 Change to base 10 or base e.  Try it both ways and see.
 log3 81
 log4 256
 log2 1024
Properties Of Logarithms
 For any real numbers x > 0 and y >0,
  Product Rule: loga xy = loga x + loga y

x
  Quotient Rule: log a y = log a x − log a y

  Power Rule: loga xy = yloga x


€
More Practice
 Express each as a single log.
 Log x + Log y - Log z =
 2 Ln x + 3 Ln y =

 Solve
 Log2 (x + 1) + Log2 3 = 4
 Log (x + 3) + Log x = 1
Web Sites
 http://www.shodor.org/UNChem/math/logs/
 http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/tutorials/LOG/
 http://www.purplemath.com/modules/logs.htm
 http://www.exploremath.com/activities/Activity_p
age.cfm?ActivityID=7
 SAMPLE Test on Logs
 http://www.alltel.net/~okrebs/page58.html

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