UNIT 4

Theory of Logarithms

OVERVIEW

In this unit the theory of logarithms is presented. Logarithm is defined and the laws of
logarithms are discussed. Common logarithms and natural logarithms are defined and
their use in the solution of exponential equations is outlined. The unit ends with the
solution of logarithmic equations.

SESSION 1: LOGARITHMS AND THE LAWS OF LOGARITHMS

Objectives
1. Define logarithm.

2. Present and illustrate the laws of logarithms.

Logarithms

Definition 1: The logarithm of a positive number N to a positive base b, b  1, is the

exponent x to which the base must be raised to produce N. Thus

bx  N

when x is the logarithm of N to the base b and this is written

x  log b N

Clearly,

x  log b N if and only if bx  N

Example 1:

(a) Since 24  16, 4  log 2 16

2

(b) Since 103  1000, 3  log10 1000

2
1
(c) If log 1 9  2, then    9
3
 3

Example 2: Find the value of x if log 2 8  x.

Solution: If log 2 8  x, then

2x  8

or

2x  23

It then follows that x  3.

3
Example 3: Find the value of N if log 9 N  .
2

3
Solution: If log 9 N  , then
2
3
N  9 2  ( 9 )3  33  27

Learning Activity: Find the value of x if log 3 x  4.

Answer: x  81.

Learning Activity: Find the value of x  0 if log x 49  2.

Answer: x  7.

The Laws of Logarithms

For any positive real numbers M and N, any real number p, and any positive real number
b  1,

1. log b MN  log b M  log b N

M
2. log b  log b M  log b N
N
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3. log b M p  p log b M

4. log b b  1

5. log b 1  0

Example 4:

(a) log 3 (9  27)  log 3 9  log 3 27 By Law 1

 log 3 3  log 3 3
2 3

 2 log 3 3  3 log 3 3 By Law 3

 2 1  3 1 By Law 4
 23
5

1000
(b) log 10  log 10 1000  log 10 100 By Law 2
100
 log 10 103  log 10 102
 3 log 10 10  2 log 10 10 By Law 3
 3 1  2 1 By Law 4
 3 2
1

Learning Activity: Simplify log 6 363.

Answer:  6.

Example 5: Express each of the following in terms of log b P, log b Q, and log b R :
PQ 1

(a) log b , (b) log b P3Q 2 R.

R

Solution:

PQ
(a) log b  log b PQ  log b R By Law 2
R
 log b P  log b Q  log b R By Law 1
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1 1

(b) log b P3Q 2 R  log b P3  log b Q 2  log b R By Law 1

1
 3 log b P  log b Q  log b R By Law 3
2
1

Learning Activity: Express log b P2Q 3 in terms of log b P and log b Q.

1
Answer: 2 log b P  log b Q.
3

Example 6: Express log b x  2 log b y  log b z as a single logarithm.

Solution:

log b x  2 log b y  log b z  log b x  log b y 2  log b z By Law 3

x
 log b 2  log b z By Law 2
y

xz
 log b By Law 1
y2

Learning Activity: Express log 10   2 log 10 r as a single logarithm.

Answer: log10 r 2.

SESSION 2: COMMON AND NATURAL LOGARITHMS

Objectives
1. Define common logarithm.

2. Define natural logarithm.

3. Solve miscellaneous problems involving common and natural logarithms.

Common Logarithms
In numerical computations the most frequently used base is 10. Such logarithms are
called common logarithms and the base is often omitted in written work. Thus

log N means log10 N

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Example 7: If log 2  0.3010, find the value of log 5 without the use of tables or
calculators.

Solution: Note that

10
log 5  log
2
 log 10  log 2 By Law 2

Then, by Law 4,

log10  1

Thus,

log 5  1  0.3010 0.6990

Learning Activity: Find log 10c.

Answer: c.

Learning Activity: If log 2  0.3010 and log 3  0.4771, find the value of log 6
without the use of tables or calculators.

Answer: 0.38905.

log 125
Learning Activity: Simplify without the use of tables or calculators.
log 25

3
Answer: .
2

Natural Logarithms
In calculus, the most useful system of logarithms is the natural system in which the base
is the irrational number e  2.71828. The natural logarithm of N, log e N , is often written
ln N.

Example 8:

(a) ln 1  0 By Law 5
6

1
(b) ln  ln e1
e
 ln e By Law 3
 1 By Law 4

Learning Activity: Solve the equation ln ( x  1)  7.

Answer: x  e7  1.

SESSION 3: EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC EQUATIONS

Objectives
1. Define an exponential equation.

2. Solve exponential equations using logarithms.

3. Define a logarithmic equation.

4. Solve logarithmic equations.

Exponential Equations
Recall that an exponential equation is an equation that has the unknown in an exponent.
For example, 2x  5 and (1.56)2 x  3.5 are exponential equations. Such equations are
frequently solved by means of logarithms.

Example 9: Solve the equation 2x  7.

Solution: Taking the logarithm of each side (to the base 10), we have

log 2x  log 7

Applying Law 3 to the left side, we obtain

x log 2  log 7

Solving for x, we get

log 7 0.8451
x   2.8076
log 2 0.3010
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Example 10: Solve the equation 32 x  5x 1.

Solution: Taking the logarithm of each side, we have

log 32 x  log 5x 1

Applying Law 3 to each side, we obtain

2x log 3  ( x  1) log 5

Applying the distributive law on the right side gives

2x log 3  x log 5  log 5

Collecting terms in x on the left side, we have

2x log 3  x log 5  log 5

Factoring out x on the left side, we obtain

x (2 log 3  log 5)  log 5

Finally, solving for x yields

log 5 0.6990
x   2.7390
2 log 3  log 5 2(0.4771)  0.6990

Learning Activity: Solve the following equations: (a) (1.06) x  3, (b) 12 2 x5  55(7 3 x ).

Answers: (a) 18.8577, (b) 9.6984.

Logarithmic Equations
Definition 2: A logarithmic equation is an equation involving the logarithm of the
unknown.

For example, log 5 ( x  2)  8 and log x 2  log ( x  6)  log (2 x  9) are logarithmic

equations.
To solve a logarithmic equation, we use the laws of logarithms to reduce the
equation either to the form log b N  y or to the form log b M  log b N. From the first
form, we set (by definition) b y  N and solve for the unknown; from the second form,
we set M  N and solve for the unknown. Finally, we must check to determine if the
value(s) of the unknown satisfy the original equation.
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Example 11: Solve the equation log (x  3)  log x  2.

Solution: Applying Law 2 on the left side, we have

x3
log 2
x

By definition, it follows that

x3
102 
x

or

100x  x  3

Solving for x gives

1
x
33

Substituting x  1 33 in the original equation, the left side becomes

1  1 100 1
log   3  log  log  log
 33  33 33 33

100 1
 log  By Law 2
33 33

100 33
 log 
33 1
 log 100

 log 102
 2 log 10 By Law 3
2 By Law 4

Thus x  1 33 satisfies the original equation, and so this is the required solution.

Example 12: Solve the equation log 4 (7 x  1)  log 4 10  log 4 ( x  2).

Solution: Applying Law 1 on the right side gives

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log 4 (7 x  1)  log 4 10( x  2)

It then follows that

7x  1  10( x  2)

Solving this equation gives x  7. Substituting x  7 in the original equation, the left
side is

log 4 (7  7  1)  log 4 50

and the right side is

log 4 10  log 4 (7  2)  log 4 10  log 4 5

 log 4 10  5 By Law 1
 log 4 50

Since the left side is equal to the right side, x  7 is the solution.

Learning Activity: Solve the following equations: (a) log (5x  1)  2  log (2x  3),
10
(b) log x  log  1.
x

301
Answers: (a) x  , (b) x  10.
195