PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS

EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS An exponential function is a function of the form f ( x ) = b x , where b > 0 and x is any real number. (Note that f ( x ) = x 2 is NOT an exponential function.) LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS log b x = y means that x = b y where x > 0, b > 0, b 1

Think: Raise b to the power of y to obtain x. y is the exponent. The key thing to remember about logarithms is that the logarithm is an exponent! The rules of exponents apply to these and make simplifying logarithms easier. Example: log 10 100 = 2 , since 100 = 10 2 . log 10 x is often written as just log x , and is called the COMMON logarithm. log e x is often written as ln x , and is called the NATURAL logarithm (note: e 2.718281828459... ).
PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMS EXAMPLES

1. log b MN = log b M + log b N log 50 + log 2 = log 100 = 2 Think: Multiply two numbers with the same base, add the exponents. 2. log b
M 56 = log b M log b N log 8 56 log 8 7 = log 8 = log 8 8 = 1 N 7 Think: Divide two numbers with the same base, subtract the exponents.

3. log b M P = P log b M log 100 3 = 3 log 100 = 3 2 = 6 Think: Raise an exponential expression to a power and multiply the exponents together.
log b b x = x

log b 1 = 0 (in exponential form, b 0 = 1 ) log 10 10 = 1

log 10 10 = x
x

ln 1 = 0

log b b = 1
log b b = x
x

ln e = 1

ln e x = x

b logb x = x

Notice that we could substitute y = log b x into the expression on the left to form b y . Simply re-write the equation y = log b x in exponential form as x = b y . Therefore, b logb x = b y = x . Ex: e ln 26 = 26

CHANGE OF BASE FORMULA

log b N =

log a N , for any positive base a. log a b

log 12 5 =

log 5 0.698970 0.6476854 log 12 1.079181

This means you can use a regular scientific calculator to evaluate logs for any base.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 5 Solve for x, use your calculator (if needed) for an approximation of x in decimal form. 12. 7 x = 54 15. 10 x = e 18. 8 x = 9 x 13. log 10 x = 17 16. e x = 1.7 19. 10 x +1 = e 4 17. ln (ln x ) = 1.013 20. log x 10 = 1.54 14. 5 x = 9 4 x
Solutions to the Practice Problems on Logarithms:

Practice Problems contributed by Sarah Leyden, typed solutions by Scott Fallstrom Solve for x (do not use a calculator). 2 log 9 (x 10 ) = 1 6. log 3 27 x = 4.5 10. log 2 x 2 log 2 (3x + 8) = 1 3 log 3 3 2 x +1 = 15 7. log x 8 = 11. ( 1 2 ) log 3 x ( 13 ) log 3 x 2 = 1 2 log x 8 = 3 8. log 6 x + log 6 ( x 1) = 1 log 5 x = 2 1 9. log 2 x 2 + log 2 ( 1 ) = 3 x log (x 2 7 x + 7 ) = 0

1. log 9 (x 2 10) = 1 91 = x 2 10 x 2 = 19 x = 19 2. log 3 3 2 x +1 = 15 315 = 3 2 x +1 2 x + 1 = 15 2 x = 14 x = 7 3. log x 8 = 3 x 3 = 8 x = 2 6. log 3 27 x = 4.5 log 3 33

3

5. log 5 (x 2 7 x + 7 ) = 0 5 0 = x 2 7 x + 7 0 = x 2 7 x + 6 0 = ( x 6)( x 1) x = 6 or x = 1

4. log 5 x = 2 5 2 = x x = 25

( )

= 4.5 log 3 33 x = 4.5 3 x = 4.5 x = 1.5

2

7. log x 8 = 3 x 2 = 8 x = 8 3 x = 2 8.

log 6 x + log 6 ( x 1) = 1 log 6 (x 2 x ) = 1 x 2 x = 6 x 2 x 6 = 0

1 4

(x 3)(x + 2) = 0 x = 3
1 2

or x = 2. Note : x = 2 is an extraneous solution, which solves only the new equation. x = 3 is the only solution t o the original equation.
1

x 2 1 9. log 2 x + log 2 = 3 log 2 x x

10.

1 1 = 3 log 2 x 2 = 3 2 3 = x 2 x = 2 3 2 x2 x2 log 2 x log 2 (3 x + 8) = 1 log 2 3 x +8 = 1 3 x +8 = 2 x 2 = 6 x + 16

x 2 6 x 16 = 0 ( x 8)( x + 2 ) = 0 x = 8 or x = 2
1 1 2
1 2 2 3

( )

1 64

( )

11.

x 2 1 2 = 1 log 3 2 3 = 1 x 2 3 = 3 2 ) log 3 x ( 3 ) log 3 x = 1 log 3 x log 3 x x

1 1

x 6 = 3 x = 36 =

1 729

12. 7 x = 54 x = log 7 54 x = 14. 5 x = 9 4 x

x 5x 4x x

= 9 ( 5 ) = 9 x = log 5 9 x 9.8467 4
4

log 54 2.0499 13. log 10 x = 17 x = 1017 log 7

15. 10 = e x = log 10 e x = log e 0.4343 16. e x = 1.7 x = ln 1.7 x = ln 1.7 0.5306 1.013 17. ln (ln x ) = 1.013 ln x = e1.013 x = e e 15.7030
x
8

18. 8 x = 9 x 1 = ( 9 ) x = log 9 1 x = 0 8 19. 10

x +1 4 4

= e x + 1 = log e x = log e 4 1 = log e 4 log 10 x = log

1

( ) 0.7372
e4 10

20. log x 10 = 1.54 x 1.54 = 10 x = 10 1.54 0.2242