GRAPHING

LOGARITHMIC
FUNCTIONS
 OBJECTIVE
• represent a logarithmic function through its:
a) table of values, b)graph, and c) equation
• find the domain and range of a logarithmic function
• determine the intercepts, zeroes, and
asymptotes of logarithmic functions
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EXAMPLE 1: Sketch the graph of
𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟐 𝒙

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PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
AND THEIR GRAPHS

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PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
AND THEIR GRAPHS

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 Relationship Between the Graphs of
Logarithmic and Exponential Functions
Since logarithmic and exponential functions are inverses of each other, their
graphs are reflections of each other about the line 𝑦 = 𝑥 as shown below.
 EXAMPLE 2: Sketch the graph of
𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟏 𝒙
𝟐
1 1 1 1
𝒙 1 2 4 8
16 8 4 2

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EXAMPLE 3:
Sketch the graph of 𝐲 = 𝟐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟐 𝒙. Determine the domain,
range, vertical asymptote, x-intercept, and zeroes.
𝟏
𝐱 1 2 4
𝟐

𝐲
 EXAMPLE 3: Sketch the graph of 𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟐 (𝒙 + 𝟓)

𝒙 −𝟓 −𝟒 −𝟑 −𝟐 −1 0 2 3

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EXAMPLE 3:
Sketch the graph of 𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟐 𝒙 and of 𝐲 = 𝟐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟐 𝒙 . Determine
the domain, range, vertical asymptote, x-intercept, and zeroes.
EXAMPLE 3:
Sketch the graph of 𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟐 𝒙 and of 𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟏 𝒙 . Determine the domain,
𝟐
range, vertical asymptote, x-intercept, and zeroes.
EXAMPLE 3:
Sketch the graph of 𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟏 𝒙 and of 𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟏 ((𝒙 + 𝟐) . Determine the
𝟒 𝟒
domain, range, vertical asymptote, x-intercept, and zeroes.
EXAMPLE 3:
Sketch the graph of 𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟑 𝒙 and of 𝐲 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈𝟑 (𝒙 − 𝟏) . Determine the
domain, range, vertical asymptote, x-intercept, and zeroes.
 EXAMPLE 3:
Find the domain, range, and vertical asymptote of the
following logarithmic function.

𝐲 = 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟑 (𝟑𝒙 − 𝟒) 𝐲 = 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟒 (𝟐𝒙 − 𝟖) + 𝟐 𝐲 = 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟏/𝟒 (𝟖𝒙 − 𝟔) + 𝟒

𝟖𝒙 − 𝟔 > 𝟎
𝟑𝒙 − 𝟒 > 𝟎 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟖 > 𝟎
𝟖𝒙 > 𝟔
𝟑𝒙 > 𝟒 𝟐𝒙 > 𝟖 𝟔
𝟒 𝒙>𝟒 𝒙>
𝒙> 𝟖
𝟑 𝟑
Domain: 𝟒, ∞ 𝒙>
𝟒 𝟒
Domain: ,∞ Range: (-∞, ∞)
𝟑 𝟑
Range: (-∞, ∞) Domain: ,∞
𝟒
Vertical Asymptote: Range: (-∞, ∞)
𝒙=𝟒
Vertical Asymptote:
Vertical Asymptote: 𝟑
𝒙=
𝟒 𝒙=
𝟒
𝟑
 EXAMPLE 4:
Find the intercepts and zeroes of 𝐲 = 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟓 𝒙 − 𝟏 − 𝟏.

𝑻𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒙 − 𝒊𝒏𝒕, 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚 = 𝟎 𝑻𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚 − 𝒊𝒏𝒕, 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒙 = 𝟎

log 𝟓 𝒙 − 𝟏 − 𝟏 = 𝟎 𝒚 = log 𝟓 𝟎 − 𝟏 − 𝟏
log 𝟓 𝒙 − 𝟏 = 𝟏 𝒚 = log 𝟓 −𝟏 − 𝟏
𝒙 − 𝟏 = 𝟓𝟏
Therefore, the function has no y-int.
𝒙−𝟏=𝟓
𝒙=𝟓+𝟏
𝒙=𝟔
x-int: (6, 0) 𝑻𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒐, 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚 = 𝟎
𝒙=𝟔
 EXAMPLE 5:
Find the intercepts and zeroes of 𝐲 = 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟑 𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟏 − 𝟒.

𝑻𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒙 − 𝒊𝒏𝒕, 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚 = 𝟎 𝑻𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚 − 𝒊𝒏𝒕, 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒙 = 𝟎

log 𝟑 𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟏 − 𝟒 = 𝟎 𝒚 = log 𝟑 𝟏𝟎 𝟎 + 𝟏 − 𝟒
log 𝟑 𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟏 = 𝟒 𝒚 = log 𝟑 𝟏 − 𝟒
𝟒
𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟏 = 𝟑 𝒚=𝟎−𝟒
𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟏 = 𝟖𝟏 𝒚 = −𝟒
𝟏𝟎𝒙 = 𝟖𝟏 − 𝟏
𝟏𝟎𝒙 = 𝟖𝟎 𝒚 = 𝒊𝒏𝒕: (𝟎, −𝟒)
𝒙=𝟖 𝑻𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒐, 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚 = 𝟎
𝒙 − 𝒊𝒏𝒕: (𝟖, 𝟎) 𝒙=𝟖
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