Section 4.
4 Laws of Logarithms
LAWS OF LOGARITHMS: If x and y are positive numbers, then
1. loga (xy) = loga x + loga y.
x
2. loga = loga x loga y.
y
3. loga (xr ) = r loga x where r is any real number.
EXAMPLES:
1. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log2 4.
Solution: We have
log2 4 = log2 22 = 2 log2 2 = 2 1 = 2
2. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log 1, 000, 000.
Solution: We have
log 1, 000, 000 = log 106 = 6 log 10 = 6 1 = 6
3. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log7 7.
Solution: We have
1 1 1
log7 7 = log7 71/2 = log7 7 = 1 =
2 2 2
1
4. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log5
3
.
5
Solution: We have
1 1 1 1 1
log5 = log5 1/3 = log5 51/3 = log5 5 = 1 =
3
5 5 3 3 3
or
1 1 1 1 1 1
log5 = log5 1/3 = log5 1 log5 51/3 = 0 log5 5 = log5 5 = 1 =
3
5 5 3 3 3 3
5. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log4 8.
Solution: We have
3 3 3
log4 8 = log4 23 = log4 (41/2 )3 = log4 4(1/2)3 = log4 43/2 = log4 4 = 1 =
2 2 2
6. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log3 270 log3 10.
Solution: We have
270
log3 270 log3 10 = log3 = log3 27 = log3 33 = 3 log3 3 = 3 1 = 3
10
7. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log2 12 + log2 3 log2 9.
1
7. Use the laws of logarithms to evaluate log2 12 + log2 3 log2 9.
Solution: We have
12 3
log2 12 + log2 3 log2 9 = log2 (12 3) log2 9 = log2 = log2 4 = log2 22
9
= 2 log2 2 = 2 1 = 2
EXAMPLES:
1. ln (x(x + 1)) = ln x + ln(x + 1)
x
2. ln = ln x ln(x + 2)
x+2
x(x + 1)
3. ln = ln x(x + 1) ln(x + 2) = ln x + ln(x + 1) ln(x + 2)
x+2
x(x + 1)
4. ln = ln x(x + 1) ln (x + 2)(x + 3)
(x + 2)(x + 3)
= ln x + ln(x + 1) ln(x + 2) + ln(x + 3)
= ln x + ln(x + 1) ln(x + 2) ln(x + 3)
x(x + 1)1/2
x x+1
5. ln = ln
3
x + 2(x + 3)5 (x + 2)1/3 (x + 3)5
= ln x(x + 1)1/2 ln (x + 2)1/3 (x + 3)5
= ln x + ln(x + 1)1/2 ln(x + 2)1/3 + ln(x + 3)5
= ln x + ln(x + 1)1/2 ln(x + 2)1/3 ln(x + 3)5
1 1
= ln x +
ln(x + 1) ln(x + 2) 5 ln(x + 3)
2 3
2
x2 (7x 14)1/3
x 3 7x 14
2 1/3
6. ln = ln = ln x (7x 14) ln(1 + x2 )4
(1 + x2 )4 (1 + x2 )4
= ln x2 + ln(7x 14)1/3 ln(1 + x2 )4
1
= 2 ln x + ln(7x 14) 4 ln(1 + x2 )
3
3
!
x2
8 x3
+1
7. ln =
1 x(x + 2) (x 7x + 5)5
3 6
2
!
3
x2 8 x3 + 1 (x2 8)1/3 (x3 + 1)1/2
7. ln = ln
1 x(x + 2)3 (x6 7x + 5)5 (1 x)1/2 (x + 2)3 (x6 7x + 5)5
2 1/3 3 1/2 1/2 3 6 5
= ln (x 8) (x + 1) ln (1 x) (x + 2) (x 7x + 5)
= ln(x2 8)1/3 + ln(x3 + 1)1/2 ln(1 x)1/2 + ln(x + 2)3 + ln(x6 7x + 5)5
= ln(x2 8)1/3 + ln(x3 + 1)1/2 ln(1 x)1/2 ln(x + 2)3 ln(x6 7x + 5)5
1 1 1
= ln(x2 8) + ln(x3 + 1) ln(1 x) + 3 ln(x + 2) 5 ln(x6 7x + 5)
3 2 2
Change of Base
IMPORTANT FORMULA: For any positive a and b (a, b 6= 1) we have
loga x
logb x =
loga b
In particular, if a = e or 10, then
ln x log x
logb x = =
ln b log b
EXAMPLES:
ln 4 log 4
1. log5 4 = = 0.86135
ln 5 log 5
log 23 3 log 2 3
2. log4 8 = log22 23 = 2
= =
log 2 2 log 2 2
1 1 log 32 2 log 3 2
3. log27 = log33 = log 33 3 2
= = =
9 32 log 33 3 log 3 3
or
log 32
1 1 2 log 3 2
log27 = log33 2 = log33 1 log33 32 = 0 log33 32 = 3
= =
9 3 log 3 3 log 3 3
1 1 1 1
4. log9 = log9 = log32 = log32
27 271/2 (3 )1/2
3 33/2
Now we can proceed in two different ways. Either
1 log 33/2 (3/2) log 3 3/2 3
log32 = log 32 3 3/2
= = = =
33/2 log 32 2 log 3 2 4
or
log 33/2
1 3/2 3/2 3/2
log32 = log 32 1 log 32 3 = 0 log 32 3 = log 32 3 =
33/2 log 32
(3/2) log 3
=
2 log 3
3/2 3
= =
2 4
