Indices and Logarithms II

A log is an index
Logarithms are another way of expressing powers. A logarithm is an index or power.
Index /power/exponent Number

Base 23 = 8 … called index form

Can be expressed as Number Index

log 2 8 = 3 … called log form

Base
Note – Base (2), index (3) and number (8) are the same but in different positions.

52 = 25 log 5 25 = 2

When the bases are the same in index form, it can be easy to evaluate an index 𝑥𝑥 .
2𝑥𝑥 = 8
2𝑥𝑥 = 23 … same bases so the indices must be equal
𝑥𝑥 = 3

But what about 2𝑥𝑥 = 10?

We can guess 𝑥𝑥 is about 3 point something as 23 was 8

Using logs or putting this into log form gives log 2 10 = 𝑥𝑥 .
This is asking ‘What is the index on 2 (𝑥𝑥 ) that results in 10?’.
log 2 10 = 3.322 using a calculator, shown later

(check 23.322 = 10 on your calulator)

Exercises
1. Rewrite 𝑥𝑥 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑎𝑎 in log form.

2. Rewrite log 𝑝𝑝 𝑟𝑟 = 𝑡𝑡 in index form.

3. Rewrite 10𝑦𝑦 = 50 in log form.

4. Rewrite log 𝑒𝑒 694 = 𝑡𝑡 in index form.

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 Indices and logarithms II 2

5. Determine the following

a) log 3 9 = f) log 3 27 =

b) log 4 16 = g) log 5 125 =

c) log10 1000 = h) log 2 32 =

d) log 6 36 = i) log10 �
1
�=
1000

e) log 2 16 = 1
j) log 3 =
9

Identities
For any 𝑥𝑥, log 𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥 = 1 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 log 𝑥𝑥 1 = 0
( 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑥𝑥 1 = 𝑥𝑥 ) (𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑥𝑥 0 = 1)

Logarithms on calculators
As you can see, a log can have many different bases.
Most scientific calculators only use two bases
• base 10 indicated by the log button
• and base e indicated by the ln button
(The Euler number e is a mathematical constant like π and is approximately 2.7182)
WARNING
𝐥𝐥𝐥𝐥𝐥𝐥 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏. 𝟔𝟔 can be confusing as the base is not given. It is usually base e but it is worth
checking if it is interpreted as log10 12 or log 𝑒𝑒 12

Exercises
6. Determine the following

a) log10 16 = d) ln 16 =

b) log10 81 = e) ln 1000 =

c) log10 1000 = f) ln 81 =

Change of base formula

When the index is a whole number, we can calculate the log result in our head or by calculator.
• log 3 9 = 2 because we know 32 = 9 as mentioned above
• But what do we do with log 3 10 which does not have an exact answer and is not
base 10 or base e?

When the base is different to 10 or e, we can easily change the base using:
log𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 𝑥𝑥
log 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑥𝑥 =
log𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜

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 Indices and logarithms II 3

Example
Using base 10 … Using base e …
log10 10 log𝑒𝑒 10
log 3 10 = ≈ 2.096 or log 3 10 = ≈ 2.096
log10 3 log𝑒𝑒 3

We can check by changing to index form 32.096 ≈ 10 You can use either base!

Exercises
7. Change the base then use your calculator to evaluate each of the following
a) log 3 50 c) log 7 100

b) log 5 10 d) log 6 1.362

Solving equations
• If an equation has an unknown index, change the equation into log form and solve for
the unknown.

Find x when 10𝑥𝑥 = 25 log10 25 = 𝑥𝑥

Using the calculator 𝑥𝑥 ≈ 1.398

• If the equation is in log form, change it into index form can help to solve for the
unknown.

Find x when log10 𝑥𝑥 = 1.9 101.9 = 𝑥𝑥

Using the calculator 𝑥𝑥 ≈ 79.433

Note - In both cases, changing the form moved all the numbers to one side of the
equation leaving just the x on its own (making x the subject of the equation).

Exercises
8. Change from log to index form or vice-versa to find the value of
a) log10 𝑥𝑥 = 0.5 g) 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥 = 212

b) log10 𝑥𝑥 = 1.2 h) 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥 = 96

c) log10 𝑥𝑥 = 1.8 i) 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥 = 13

d) 10𝑥𝑥 = 28 j) ln 𝑥𝑥 = 0.2

e) 10𝑥𝑥 = 45 k) ln 𝑥𝑥 = 1.8

f) 10𝑥𝑥 = 136 l) ln 𝑥𝑥 = 2.3

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 Indices and logarithms II 5

Using logs
The following data shows the activity level, L, of a radioactive isotope after, t, seconds. Its
graph is also shown.
Activity Level
t (sec) L (counts/min) Acivity level of Radioactive
0 730 Isotope
20 600
40 480 800
60 380 Activity 600
level
80 310 400
(count/min)
100 240 200
120 190 0
140 150 0 50 100 150 200
160 120 time ( sec)

We can see that there is a relationship between the variables time and count as there is a
pattern formed by the points. As time increases, count decreases.

It is useful to find equations of such relationships. Since the graph is not a straight line it is
more difficult to find its equation and this relationship.

In situations like this, we can make it easier to find an equation of the relationship by changing
the curve into a line. Look what happens when we take the base 10 log of the count values
and draw the graph.

Activity Level
L
t (sec) Log (L) (counts/min)
0 log10 730 = 2.8633228 730
20 2.77815125 600
40 2.681241237 480
60 2.579783597 380
80 2.491361694 310
100 2.380211242 240
120 2.278753601 190
140 2.176091259 150
160 2.079181246 120

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 Indices and logarithms II 6

Activity Level

t (sec)
log L
(counts/min)
Log of activity level
0 2.86 3.5
20 2.78 3
40 2.68 2.5
60 2.58 Log (Activity 2
level) y = -0.005x + 2.8752
80 2.49 1.5
Log(count/min)
100 2.38 1
120 2.28 0.5
140 2.18 0
0 50 100 150 200
160 2.08
Time (sec)

Using logs can help to describe the relationship in a way that the equation is easy to
determine.

The straight line equation is

𝑦𝑦 = −0.005𝑥𝑥 + 2.8752 where 𝑦𝑦 = log10 𝐿𝐿

In terms of our variables count and time, the equation of the line becomes

log10 𝐿𝐿 = −0.005𝑡𝑡 + 2.8752

It is preferable to express the dependent (y or log10 𝐿𝐿 ) variable without the log. The equation
is expressed in log form so we can change it into index form and see how that looks.

In log form …

log10 𝐿𝐿 = −0.005𝑡𝑡 + 2.8752

Identify the components …

Base is 10
Index is −0.005𝑡𝑡 + 2.8752 (the whole right hand side)
Number is L

In index form …
10−0.005𝑡𝑡+2.8752 = 𝐿𝐿

Normally at this point we would use index laws to write the equation as

2.8752 −0.005𝑡𝑡
102.8752
𝐿𝐿 = 10 × 10 or 𝐿𝐿 = 0.005𝑡𝑡
10

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 Indices and logarithms II 7

Answers
1. log x 𝑎𝑎 = 𝑦𝑦

2. 𝑝𝑝𝑡𝑡 = 𝑟𝑟

3. log10 50 = 𝑦𝑦

4. 𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝑡 = 694

5.
a) log 3 9 = 2 g) log 5 125 = 3
b) log 4 16 = 2 h) log 2 32 = 5
c) log10 1000 = 3 i) log10 �
1
�=−3
1000
d) log 6 36 = 2
e) log 2 16 = 4 1
j) log 3 = −2
f) log 3 27 = 3 9

6.
a) log10 16 = 1.204 d) ln 16 = 2.773
b) log10 81 = 1.908 e) ln 1000 = 6.908
c) log10 1000 = 3 f) ln 81 = 4.394

7.
log10 50 log10 100
a) log 3 50 = ≈ 3.56 c) log 7 100 = ≈ 2.37
log10 3 log10 7
log10 10 log10 1.362
b) log 5 10 = ≈ 1.43 d) log 6 1.362 = ≈ 0.17
log10 5 log10 6

8.
a) log10 𝑥𝑥 = 0.5 → 𝑥𝑥 = 100.5 → 𝑥𝑥 = 3.16

b) log10 𝑥𝑥 = 1.2 → 𝑥𝑥 = 101.2 → 𝑥𝑥 = 15.85

c) log10 𝑥𝑥 = 1.8 → 𝑥𝑥 = 101.8 → 𝑥𝑥 = 63.10

d) 10𝑥𝑥 = 28 → 𝑥𝑥 = log10 28 → 𝑥𝑥 = 1.45

e) 10𝑥𝑥 = 45 → 𝑥𝑥 = log10 45 → 𝑥𝑥 = 1.65
f) 10𝑥𝑥 = 136 → 𝑥𝑥 = log10 136 → 𝑥𝑥 = 2.13
g) 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥 = 212 → 𝑥𝑥 = log 𝑒𝑒 212 → 𝑥𝑥 = 5.36
h) 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥 = 96 → 𝑥𝑥 = ln 96 or log 𝑒𝑒 96 → 𝑥𝑥 = 4.56
i) 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥 = 13 → 𝑥𝑥 = ln 13 → 𝑥𝑥 = 2.56
j) ln 𝑥𝑥 = 0.2 → 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑒𝑒 0.2 → 𝑥𝑥 = 1.22
k) ln 𝑥𝑥 = 1.8 → 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑒𝑒1.8 → 𝑥𝑥 = 6.05
l) ln 𝑥𝑥 = 2.3 → 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑒𝑒 2.3 → 𝑥𝑥 = 9.97

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