LOGARITHMS

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 Content
1) Introduction
i.Properties of logarithms

2) Problems
i.Problems using properties
ii.Application (Finding number of digits of a number)

3) Solved problems

4)Practice problems

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 1) Introduction
What is log?

Subtraction is the inverse operation to addition.

Ex: e + x = N ; x=N–e

Division is the inverse operation to multiplication

Ex: ex = N ; x = N/e

Likewise
Logarithm is the inverse operation to exponentiation.
Ex: ex = N : x = loge N

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 1.i) Properties of Logarithms:
Property LHS RHS
Addition property loga (xy) loga x + loga y
Subtraction property loga (x/y) loga x - loga y
Multiplication property loga (xn) n (loga x)
Inverse property loga x 1 / logx a
Application of multiplication loga^n (x) 1/n (loga x)
and inverse
Division property loga x logb x / logb a
Application of division logx x 1
property
a^0 = 1 property loga 1 0

Note: If no base value is mentioned in log, then it is

logarithms to the base 10 which are known as common
logarithms.
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 2.i) Problems using properties

Example: Simplify log9√3243

log9√3243 = log√243243
= log243^1/2243
= 1/½ log243243
= 2

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 Example 1. The value of log2 16 is:

A.1/8
B.4
C.8
D.16

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 Example:  If log 27 = 1.431, then the value of log 9 is:

log 27 = 1.431
log 3^3 = 1.431
3 log 3 = 1.431
log 3 = 1.431/3

log 9 = log 3^2

= 2 log 3
= 2 (1.431/3)
= 0.954

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 Example 2.  log √8 / log 8 is equal to:

A.1/8
B.1/4
C.1/2
D.8

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 Example: Simplify log 13 5+3log133-3log133-3log1315+2log1365

log 135+3log133-3log133-3log1315+2log1365
= log 135+log133^3-log133^3-log1315^3+log1365^2
= log 13 ( 5* 3^3 * 65^2 / 3^3 * 15^3)
= log 13 ( 5* 65^2 / 15^3)
= log 13 ( 5* 13^2 / 3^3)
= log 13 ( 169 / 27)

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 Example 3. 2log 7 – log 81 + log 189 – log 343

a)0
b) log 21
c) log 7
d) –log 3

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 Example:  If log10 7 = a, then log10 (1/70) is equal to:

log10 (1/70) = log10 1 - log10 70

= log10 1 - log10 7 - log10 10
=0-a- 1
= - (a+1)

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 Example 4.  If log10 2 = 0.3010, then log2 10 is equal to:

A.699/301
B.1000/301
C.0.3010
D.0.6990

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 Example: find x, if (log 6561)/(log 243) = log 32 x+2

(log 6561)/(log 243) = log 32 x+2

(log 3^8)/(log 3^5) = log 32 x+2
(8log 3)/(5log 3) = log 32 x+2
8/5 = log 32 x+2
32^8/5 = x+2
(2^5)^8/5 =x+2
2^8 =x+2
2^8 – 2 =x
x = 254

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 Example 5. Solve the following for x:
log 729 / log 81 = log x

a)100
b) √1000
c) 1000
d) 10

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 Example: If logx (9/16) = - 1/2 , then x is equal to:
A.- 3 4 B. 3 4 C. 81 256 D. 256 81

logx (9/16) = - 1/2

9/16 = x^(-1/2)
x = (9/16)^-2
= (16/9)^2
= 256/81

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 Example 6. If logx16 = 0.8, then find x

a)2
b) 4
c) 16
d) 32

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 2.ii) Application (Finding the number of digits
of a number)

Example:  If log 3 = 0.4771, the number of digits in 324 is:

log 324 = 24 log 3

= 24 (0.4771)
log 324 = 11.45
324 = 1011.45
= 12 digits

(or)

Number of digits in 324 = characteristics+ 1 Characteristics is

= 11 + 1 the part
= 12 digits before decimal point

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 Example 7.  If log 2 = 0.30103, the number of digits in 264
is:

A.18
B.19
C.20
D.21

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 3) Solved examples

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 1. Find the value of x: log3(log2(log2(log5x))) = 0

Solution:

log3(log2(log2(log5x))) = 0
log2(log2(log5x)) = 3^0
log2(log2(log5x)) =1
(log2(log5x)) = 2^1
log2(log5x) =2
log5x = 2^2
log5x =4
x = 5^4
= 625

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 2.  If log 2 = 0.3010 and log 3 = 0.4771, the value of log5 512 is:

Solution:

log5 512 = log5 2^9

= 9 log5 2
= 9 log 2 / log 5
= 9 log 2 / log (10/2)
= 9 log 2 / log 10 – log 2
= 9 log 2 / 1 – log 2
= 9 0.301/1-0.301
= 9 0.301/0.699
= 3.87

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 4) Practice problems

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 1.  If ax = by, then:

A.log a/b = x/y

B.log a/log b = x/y
C.log a/ log b = y/x
D.None of these

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 2. Simplify log3125525 + log125(25)60

a) 85
b) 145
c) 45
d) 145/4

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 3. Simplify log √32(1/1024)

a) 1
b) -1
c) -1/4
d) -4

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 4. Simplify log 7 + 3 log 2 – log 14 – log 4

a) 0
b) log 14
c) 2 log 56
d) 1

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 5. If log7(x-7) + log7(x^2+7x+49) =4

a)196
b) 7
c) 49
d) 14

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