Harvard University Extension School

Math E-10 Precalculus Spring, 2011

HANDOUT 6
March 1, 2011

Lecture 6 – Notes on
Logarithms
Common Logs
Natural Logs
Properties of Logs

Examples of solving using logs and their properties.

Homework – subject to change Any revisions will be given at the end of

the class and posted on the website by the next morning after the lecture.

Read Section 4.1

Problem Set 6 Due Next Tuesday, March 8

Tools for Chapter 4 page 189

Please try to re-do all of the examples on Pages 189 – 191. Use a pencil.
Don’t just read them. These do NOT need to be turned in. They will help you to
understand how to solve equations using logs.

Turn in the following problems: Note: PLEASE check the Website for any changes
so everyone will be on the same page. The assignment is changed based on how far
we get in the lecture. Try to label your problems clearly.

§4.1 # 3-5, 8, 9, 14, 17, 20, 24, 26, 29, 35, 36, 46, 48, 52

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 Logarithms

WHAT is a Logarithm? Answer: A logarithm is an EXPONENT.

Of course, exponents do not exist by themselves. They need to be ‘on’ a base value.
Thus we have our definition.

Definition:

If x is a positive number, then

l o g b x is the exponent of b that gives x.

That is:

If y = l o g b x then b y = x

Examples:

log 2 8 = 3 why? Because 2 3 = 8

1
1
log 3 3= why? Because 3 = 3
2
2

1 1
log 5 = −2 why? Because 5 − 2 =
25 52

log 4 1 = 0 why? Because 40 = 1

log 7 7 = 1 why? Because 71 = 7

2
Logarithms can have any positive base ≠ 0.

There are however, two bases that are important in the study of calculus.

1. BASE 10 called ‘Common Logarithm’ : log10x = y means 10y = x

Since this is so important, we leave out the base and write log x = y and understand
this logarithm is to the base 10.

2. BASE ‘e’ called the ‘Natural Logarithm’: logex = y means ey = x

Again, this logarithm is extremely important in calculus and such we have a special
name for it:
l o g e x is simply written as ln x.

Examples of both kinds of logarithms:

log 100 = 2 Why? Because 102 = 100

log 30 ≈ 1.477 Why? Because 101.477 ≈ 30

ln .01 ≈ −4.605 Why? Because e−-4.605 ≈ .01

ln 3 ≈ 1.0986 Why? Because e1.0986 ≈ 3

Our calculator is helpful when we cannot mentally find a value as in ln 3 or log 30

Rewrite in terms of a log: 10 -4 = .0001 we write: log .0001 =−4

IMPORTANT NOTE: Logs and exponents are inverses of each other. We will
discuss these a little later. When doing problems, it is always a good idea to write
both forms, the log form and its exponential form at the top of your paper. These are
the most basic properties of logs. When ever you are stuck solving a problem with
logarithms, ALWAYS refer back to these basic properties.

log x = y ln x = y
10y = x ey = x

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 Properties of Logarithms
A Logarithm is an Exponent: It is the exponent we put on some base to get x. x >0

Common Logarithm Natural Logarithm General Logarithm

Base 10 Base e Base b
log x = y ln x = y log b x = y
10 y = x ey = x by = x
log 1 = 0 ln 1 = 0 log b1 = 0

log 10 = 1 ln e = 1 log bb = 1

log 10x = x for all x ln ex = x for all x log bbx = x for all x

10log x = x x>0 eln x = x x>0 blog x = x x>0

Product Property Product Property Product Property

log AB = log A + log B ln AB = ln A + ln B log bAB = log bA + log bB
and and and
log A + log B= log AB ln A + ln B = ln AB log bA + log bB= log bAB
Quotient Property Quotient Property Quotient Property
A A A
log = log A − log B ln = ln A − ln B log b = log bA − log bB
B B B
and and and
A A A
log A − log B= log ln A − ln B= ln log bA − log bB= log b
B B B
Power Property Power Property Power Property
log Bt = t log B ln Bt = t ln B log bBt = t log bB
and and and
t log B= log Bt t ln B= ln Bt t log bB= log bBt

Some misconceptions:
1) log (a + b) = log a + log b NOT TRUE log (a + b) ≠ log a + log b
log (a − b) ≠ log a − log b But what does “log (a + b)” or “log (a − b)” mean?

The LOG IS AN EXPONENT. Therefore, log (a + b) must be the exponent we put on 10 to get (a + b).
i.e. y = log (a + b) means 10y = a + b. Similarly, y = log(a−b) means 10y = a − b

⎛ a ⎞ log a ⎛1⎞ 1
2) log (ab) ≠ (log a)(log b) and log ⎜ ⎟ ≠ and log ⎜ ⎟ ≠
⎝ b ⎠ log b ⎝ a ⎠ log a

3) log abt ≠ t log ab Use product property: log abt = log a + log bt
but log(ab)t does = t log(ab)
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Examples using log properties. Be careful of negative signs. There are several ways to do these problems,
just be careful using the correct properties.

x7 y3
1. Expand log i.e. Break up or ‘pull apart’ this expression
16 x 5 z 6

x7 y3
log 5 6
= log( x 7 y 3 ) − log(16 x 5 z 6 ) by division (quotient) property
16 x z

= log( x 7 ) + log( y 3 ) − [log(16) + log( x 5 ) + log( z 6 )] by multiplication (product) property

Notice the parenthesis after the minus sign.
3 3
= 7 log x + log y − log 16 − 5 log x − 6 log z by the power property. Notice log y 3 = log y 2
2

3
= 2 log x + log y − log 16 − 6 log z combine the log x terms.
2

2. Write as a single log. Simplify when possible. In this case we are ‘Putting Together” the expression to
get one log
1
9 log x − log y − 5 log z + 2 Use power property first
3
1
= log x 9 − log y 3
− log z 5 + log 100 Notice that log100 = 2 Now we have all log terms.
Use quotient and product properties to combine.
I factored out the negative in the Second and third terms first.
1
= log x 9 − (log y 3
+ log z 5 ) + log 100

1
= log x 9 − log( y 3
* z 5 ) + log 100

x9
= log 1
+ log 100
y 3
* z5

100 x 9
= log 1
y 3 z5

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Solving equations using logarithms:

Solve for x: Please use 4 decimal places in your answer when approximating.

1. 2 x = 19 Note: 2x is in exponential form. y = abt In this case, a = 1.

In order to solve exponential functions, we can either graph them by comparing 2x and 19 or solve using
logarithms.

We take the log of both sides. If the exponential part of the equation uses ‘e’ , we would take the natural
log of both sides. Otherwise, it does not matter whether you use the natural log or the common log to solve
this. Both ways are demonstrated.

1. 2 x = 19
log 2 x = log 19 use the power property of logs to isolate the ‘x’

x log 2 = log 19 divide both sides by log 2

log19
x= Note: this is an ‘exact’ answer. Evaluating this on the calculator gives an ‘approximation’
log 2
x ≈ 4.2479

Solution using natural logs.

2 x = 19
ln 2 x = ln 19 use the power property of logs to isolate the ‘x’

x ln 2 = ln 19 divide both sides by ln 2

ln 19
x=
ln 2
x ≈ 4.2479

2.
e 0.12 x = 100 We can either rewrite this in terms of natural log or take the natural log of both sides.

Rewritten this means: ln100=0.12x divide by 0.12

ln 100
x= ≈ 383.7642
0.12

or take ln both sides we get ln e 0.12 x = ln 100

0.12 x ln e = ln 100 we know ln e = 1

0.12 x = ln 100 this is the same equation as above.

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Some hints on how to approach different problems in solving using logarithms.:

§ 4.1 # 42

Pa x = Qb x This problem, like other problems using logs, can be done in different ways.
The first way is to try to isolate the ‘x.’
P bx
=
Q ax
x
P ⎛b⎞
=⎜ ⎟ By exponent Rules.
Q ⎝a⎠
P ⎛b⎞
log = x log⎜ ⎟ Now take the log of both sides and use division rule
Q ⎝a⎠
log P − log Q = x (log b − log a )
log P − log Q
x=
log b − log a

§ 4.1 # 45

58e 4t +1 = 30
30 divide by 58 to isolate the term with ‘x’. Then take natural log.
e 4t +1 =
58
30
ln e 4t +1 = ln
58
30
4t + 1 = ln
58
.
30
4t = ln − 1
58
1 ⎛ 30 ⎞
t = ⎜ ln − 1⎟
4 ⎝ 58 ⎠
This is an exact answer

§4.1 # 49.

log(2 x + 5) • log(9 x 2 ) = 0 This is a problem from algebra. We have a problem where two factors
are multiplied and equal zero, that is: A* B = 0. This means that either
A = 0 or B = 0 or both. We set each factor to zero and solve

log(2 x + 5) = 0 or log(9 x 2 ) = 0 We rewrote each in exponential form using

2 x + 5 = 10 0
9 x = 10
2 0 the basic property of logs.
2x + 5 = 1 9x 2 = 1 Always check your answers.
1
x = −2 x=±
3