Laws of Exponents

Let’s dig deep into our

memories and try to
remember the laws of
exponents.

Product Rule x  x  x
m n m n

Quotient Rule x m  x n  x m n

It’s all coming back now. I remember this stuff.

 Laws of Logarithms
What are the Laws of Logarithms?
Since Logarithms are just exponents
written in a different form, maybe the
Laws of Logarithms are the same as the
Laws of Exponents.

Product Rule logb (xy )  logb x  logb y

Quotient Rule logb (x  y )  logb x  logb y
Power Rule logb (x )n  n logb x
This looks pretty easy, but how
does it work with actual numbers?
 Examples of the Logarithm Laws

Product Rule logb (xy )  logb x  logb y

log2 (32  8)  log2 32  log2 8

Quotient Rule logb (x  y )  logb x  logb y

log2 (32  8)  log2 32  log2 8

Power Rule logb (x )  n logb x

n

May I log2 (8)4  4 log2 8

press the
easy button
 Logarithm Laws
in Action
1
1
log x  log x 2  log x I can do that.
2
 m
Express log  3  in terms of log m and log n
 n 
1
 m  m 3 1  m 1
log  3
  log    log    (log m  log n )
 n  n  3 n  3

That one made my brain hurt, but I think I can do it.

 More Logarithm
Laws in Action
If log 2 = x and log 3 = y, express each
of the following in terms of x and y

a ) log 6 b ) log24
log 6  2  3 log 24  log(8  3)
1
This really isn’t
 log 2  32  log(2  3)
3
as difficult as I
1 thought it was.
 log 2  3  log(2)3  log 3
2
1
 log 2  log 3  3log 2  log3
2
1  3x  y
 (x  y )
2
Solving Equations that That sounds
confusing, but

Contain Logarithms I guess I’ll give

it a try.

If log b A = log b B then A = B

If log N = 2log x + log y

solve for N in terms of x and y
Try to put the equation in the form log b A = log b B

Undo the power law log N = log x2 + log y

Undo the product law log N = log x2y

Drop the log and set
the numbers equal N = x 2y
 More Equations that
Contain Logarithms
1
Solve for x: log x  log 8  log 7
3
Put the equation in the form log b A = log b B
1

Undo the power law log x  log 8  log7

3

Evaluate what you can log x  log 2  log 7

x
Undo the quotient law log  log 7
2
Drop the log and set x
the numbers equal 7
2
Solve the equation x  14
 Exponentiating Logarithmic Equations
I’m not even sure what that means. Let’s give it a look.

Solve for x: log4 (x  3)  log4 (x  3)  2

Logarithms are exponents written in a different form

Undo the product law log4 (x  3)(x  3)   2

Write in exponential form (x  3)(x  3)  42

Evaluate what you have (x  3)(x  3)  16

x 2  9  16
You must check for
x 2  25 That looked
extraneous roots
x  5 hard at first,
but it really
Write your final answer x=5 wasn’t hard
after all.