à

ଵ
ƒ ଶ ቀ ቁ
଼
à െ

ܾ
WhatPower௕

Exercises 1–9

Evaluate the following expressions and justify your answer.

1. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬ૠ (૝ૢ)
‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬ૠ (૝ૢ) = ૛ because ૠ૛ = ૝ૢ.

2. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૙ (ૠ)
‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૙ (ૠ) does not make sense because there is no power of ૙ that will produce ૠ.

3. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૞ (૚)

‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૞ (૚) = ૙ because ૞૙ = ૚.

4. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (૞)
‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (૞) does not exist because for any exponent ࡸ, ૚ࡸ = ૚, so there is no power of ૚ that will produce ૞.

5. ‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૛ (૚૟)
‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૛ (૚૟) = ૝ because (െ૛)૝ = ૚૟.

6. ‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૛ (૜૛)
‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૛ (૜૛) does not make sense because there is no power of െ૛ that will produce ૜૛.

7. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (ૢ)
૜

૚ ି૛
‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (ૢ) = െ૛ because ቀ ቁ = ૢ.
૜ ૜

8. ‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (૛ૠ)
૜

૚
‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (૛ૠ) does not make sense because there is no power of െ that will produce ૛ૠ.
૜ ૜

9. Describe the allowable values of ࢈ in the expression ‫)࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬. When can we define a function
ࢌ(࢞) = ‫ ?)࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬Explain how you know.

If ࢈ = ૙ or ࢈ = ૚, then the expression ‫ )࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬does not make sense. If ࢈ < ૙, then the expression
‫ )࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬makes sense for some values of ࢞ but not for others, so we cannot define a function
ࢌ(࢞) = ‫ )࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬if ࢈ < ૙. Thus, we can define the function ࢌ(࢞) = ‫ )࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬if ࢈ > ૙ and ࢈ ് ૚.
 à
ଵ
ƒ ଶ ቀ ቁ
଼
à െ

ܾ
WhatPower௕

Exercises 1–9

Evaluate the following expressions and justify your answer.

1. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬ૠ (૝ૢ)
‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬ૠ (૝ૢ) = ૛ because ૠ૛ = ૝ૢ.

2. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૙ (ૠ)
‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૙ (ૠ) does not make sense because there is no power of ૙ that will produce ૠ.

3. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૞ (૚)

‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૞ (૚) = ૙ because ૞૙ = ૚.

4. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (૞)
‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (૞) does not exist because for any exponent ࡸ, ૚ࡸ = ૚, so there is no power of ૚ that will produce ૞.

5. ‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૛ (૚૟)
‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૛ (૚૟) = ૝ because (െ૛)૝ = ૚૟.

6. ‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૛ (૜૛)
‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૛ (૜૛) does not make sense because there is no power of െ૛ that will produce ૜૛.

7. ‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (ૢ)
૜

૚ ି૛
‫ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (ૢ) = െ૛ because ቀ ቁ = ૢ.
૜ ૜

8. ‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (૛ૠ)
૜

૚
‫ିܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬૚ (૛ૠ) does not make sense because there is no power of െ that will produce ૛ૠ.
૜ ૜

9. Describe the allowable values of ࢈ in the expression ‫)࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬. When can we define a function
ࢌ(࢞) = ‫ ?)࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬Explain how you know.

If ࢈ = ૙ or ࢈ = ૚, then the expression ‫ )࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬does not make sense. If ࢈ < ૙, then the expression
‫ )࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬makes sense for some values of ࢞ but not for others, so we cannot define a function
ࢌ(࢞) = ‫ )࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬if ࢈ < ૙. Thus, we can define the function ࢌ(࢞) = ‫ )࢞( ࢈ܚ܍ܟܗ۾ܜ܉ܐ܅‬if ࢈ > ૙ and ࢈ ് ૚.
 ૛࢞ା૚ ૜૛
ଶ௫ ௫ାଷ
࢞ା૚ ૞
૛ ૛
࢞ ૚ ૞
࢞ ૝

ƒ
à 2
ƒ !"##$%& '(& $#&)*)+ &,&-.*%& (/0 /%1&0 "% '$ %$23& '(& &4"/'*$) ! = 10 instead of the equation 2௫ = 8.
!
Why
*% *' 5/- 6$-& 0*55*."2' '$ %$23& '(& &4"/'*$) !! " #$7
à !" #$%&' (%$) *$) '$ "+,-".. !" /. / ,$)"- $0 #, but
'*/' $ 1/% 2" "+,-".."# /. #!3
ƒ !"# $% &'#( )$* '#)%+%,- ).") ",% */%, "#( 0#(%, %-)'1")%- *& ).% -*20)'*# )* !! = 10?
That is, can we find a
"#( " -* ).") # " $ " "3
à Yes; the unknown ‫ ݔ‬is between 3 and 4 because 2ଷ < 10 < 2ସ .
ƒ

of the characteristics of logarithms.

Definition of the logarithm base ࢈ Characteristics

If three numbers ࡸ, ࢈, and ࢞ with ૙ < ࢈ < ૚ or If ࢈ > ૚ and ࢞ > ૚, ‫ > )࢞( ࢈ ܏ܗܔ‬૙.
࢈ > ૚ are related by ࢈ࡸ = ࢞, then ࡸ is the If ૙ < ࢈ < ૚ and ࢞ > ૚, then
logarithm base ࢈ of ࢞, and we write ‫ < )࢞( ࢈ ܏ܗܔ‬૙.
‫ࡸ = )࢞( ࢈ ܏ܗܔ‬.
Logarithm
Examples Non-Examples

‫ ܏ܗܔ‬૛(ૡ) = ૜ ‫ ܏ܗܔ‬૙(࢞)
‫ ܏ܗܔ‬૞(૚) = ૙ ‫ି ܏ܗܔ‬૚ (࢞)
‫ ܏ܗܔ‬૚૙(૙. ૙૚) = െ૛ ‫ ܏ܗܔ‬૚૙ (െ૛)

ƒ What are some examples of logarithms?

à log ଶ (4) = 2, log ଷ (27) = 3, logଵ଴ (0.10) = െ1
ƒ What are some non-examples?
à log ଴ (4), logଵ (4)
ƒ Why can’t ܾ = 0? Why can’t ܾ = 1?
à If there is a number ‫ ܮ‬so that log ଴ (4) = ‫ܮ‬, then 0௅ = 4. But, there is no number ‫ ܮ‬such that 0௅ is 4,
so this does not make sense. Similar reasoning can be applied to logଵ (4).
ƒ Is log ହ (25) a valid example?
à Yes. log ହ (25) = 2 because 5ଶ = 25.
ƒ Is log ହ (െ25) a valid example? It is impossible to raise a positive base to an exponent
! !"# $%&'& () *" *+,-&' ! )+.% /%0/ !" = ! 25 ! and get a negative value
#
ƒ Is log ହ (0) a valid example?
! !"# $%&'& () *" *+,-&' ! )+.% /%0/ !" = 0. It is impossible to raise a positive base to an
exponent and get an answer of 0.
! !" #$%& %'( )"*( +$%'%+&(',)&,+) "- ."/%',&$*)0
The base ܾ must be a positive number not equal to 1. The input must also be a positive
number. The output may be any real number (positive, negative, or 0).