Logarithm

Logarithm

Every positive real number N can be expressed in exponential

form as 𝐚𝐱 = N where 'a' is also a positive real number
different than unity and is called the base and 'x' is called an
exponent.

ax = N ⇔ logaN = x.
 Limitations of logarithm

loga N is defined only when

(i) N > 0 (ii) a > 0 (iii) a  1.

Important note
For a given value of N, 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐚 𝐍 will give us a unique value.

Logarithm of zero does not exist.

Logarithm of negative reals are not defined in the system of

real numbers.
 Basic Definition of Logarithm
Using the basic definition of logarithm, we have 3 important
deductions :
𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐚 𝟏 = 0 i.e. logarithm of unity to any base is zero

𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐍 𝐍 = 1 i.e. logarithm of a number to the same base is 1.

𝟏
𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟏 𝐍 = –1 = 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐍 i.e. logarithm of a number to the base as
𝐍
𝐍
its reciprocal is –1.

Important note
N= 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐍
The Principal Properties of Logarithms

If m, n are arbitrary positive numbers where a > 0, a ≠ 1, then:

m
(1) loga mn = logam + logan (2) loga = logam − logan
n
Base Changing Theorem

It can be stated as "quotient of the logarithm of two numbers is

independent of their common base ." Symbolically

logb m
𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐚 𝐦 = where a > 0, a ≠ 1, b > 0, b ≠ 1
logb a
The base of the logarithm can be any positive number
other then 1, but in normal practice, only two bases are
popular, these are 10 and e( = 2.718 approx) .

Logarithms of numbers to the base 10 are named as

′common logarithm′ and the logarithms of numbers to
the base ′e′ are called Natural or Napierian logarithm. We
will consider log x as logex or lnx.
 log 𝒂 bk = klog𝐚b

𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐛 𝟏
𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐛 𝐚 . 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐚 𝐛 = . = 𝟏. 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐛 𝐚 =
𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐛 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐚 𝐛

𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐛 𝐜 = 𝐜 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐛 𝐚

1
Base power formula :– log k m = log𝐚m
a k
 Question

Express the following in logarithmic form :

𝟏
(a) 0.001 = 𝟏𝟎−𝟑 (b) 2 =𝟏𝟐𝟖 𝟕

Solution

Ans. (i)log 𝟏𝟎 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟏 = −𝟑

(ii)log 𝟐 𝟏𝟐𝟖 = 𝟕
 Question

Express the following in exponential form :

(a) log232 = 5 (b) log 4=4 (c) log 𝟏𝟎 0.01 = −2

𝟐

Solution

Ans.
(i)𝟐𝟓 = 𝟑𝟐
(ii)𝟐𝟐 = 𝟒
(iii) 𝟏𝟎−𝟐 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏
 Question

Find the value of the following :

𝟒𝟑
(a) 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟏.𝟒𝟑ഥ 1 log25
𝟑𝟎 (b) 2

Solution

Ans. (i)1
(ii)1/5
 Question

If log (5+2 𝟔) (5−2 𝟔) = x, find x.

Solution

Ans. -1
 Question
1 1
Show that log9 + 2log6 + log81 − log12 = 3log3
2 4

Solution
 Question

Evaluate : log34 . log45 . log56 . log67 . log78 . log89

Solution

Ans. 2
 Question

Evaluate : 𝟐𝐥𝐨𝐠𝟑 𝟓 – 𝟓𝐥𝐨𝐠𝟑 𝟐

Solution

Ans. 𝟎
 Question
𝐏𝟒 𝐐𝟒
If 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟓 𝐏= a and 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟐 𝐐= a , then prove that = 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟐𝐚−𝟏
𝟏𝟎𝟎

Solution
 Question

Let S = log2 ( 7 + 5) , then find the value of log2( 7 − 5) in

terms of S .

Solution

Ans. 1-S
 Question

If 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐛 𝟏𝟐𝟓 = 𝐜, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐛 𝟐𝟓 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜,

(𝐛 > 𝟏)?

Solution

Ans. 66.67%
 Question
𝟏 −𝟐𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟑 𝟕 −𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟏 𝟕
𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐚 = ,𝐛 = 𝟐 𝟐 , 𝐢𝐟 𝐚 = 𝐛𝐤 , then find the value of k.
𝟗

Solution

Ans. K=4
 Question
𝟏𝟏
If 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟑 𝟓 = x and 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟐𝟓 𝟏𝟏 = y, then find the value of 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝟑 ( ) in
𝟑
terms of x and y.

Solution
 Question
𝟕𝟓 𝟓 𝟑𝟐
Express log - 2log + log in terms of log 2 and log 3.
𝟏𝟔 𝟗 𝟐𝟒𝟑

Solution

Ans. log2