Logarithm: If a is a positive real number, other than 1 and am = x, then we write m = logax and we say that the value

of log x to the base a is m. Examples: (i). 103 1000 log10 1000 = 3. (ii). 34 = 81 log3 81 = 4. (iii). 2-3 = 1 log2 1 = -3. 8 8 (iv). (.1)2 = .01 log(.1) .01 = 2. Properties of Logarithms: 1. loga (xy) = loga x + loga y 2. loga x = loga x - loga y y 3. logx x = 1 4. loga 1 = 0 5. loga (xn) = n(loga x) 6. loga x = 1 logx a 7. loga x = logb x = log x . logb a log a Common Logarithms: Logarithms to the base 10 are known as common logarithms. The logarithm of a number contains two parts, namely 'characteristic' an d 'mantissa'. Characteristic: The internal part of the logarithm of a number is called its cha racteristic. Case I: When the number is greater than 1. In this case, the characteristic is one less than the number of digits in the le ft of the decimal point in the given number. Case II: When the number is less than 1. In this case, the characteristic is one more than the number of zeros between th e decimal point and the first significant digit of the number and it is negative . Instead of -1, -2 etc. we write 1 (one bar), 2 (two bar), etc. Examples:Number Characteristic Number Characteristic 654.24 2 0.6453 1 26.649 1 0.06134 2 8.3547 0 0.00123 3 Mantissa: The decimal part of the logarithm of a number is known is its mantissa. For mant issa, we look through log table. Exercise Problems: 1.d log_3 81 A.4 B.3 C.2 Answer: A Explanation: Let d log_3 81= n Then 3^n=81=3^4 Then n=4 There fore d log_3 81 = 4 2. d log_7 d1/343 A.-4 B.-3 C.-6 Answer: B Explanation: Letd log_7 d1/343 = n Then 7^n = 1/343 = 1/7^3 =7^(-3) Then n=-3 D.8

D.-2

There fore d log_7 d1/343 = -3 3. d log_3 1 A.0 B.1 C.3 D.2 Answer: A 4. Which of the following statements is not correct? A. log10 10 = 1 B. log (2 + 3) = log (2 x 3) C. log10 1 = 0 D. log (1 + 2 + 3) = log 1 + log 2 + log 3 Answer: B Explanation: (a) Since loga a = 1, so log10 10 = 1. (b) log (2 + 3) = log 5 and log (2 x 3) = log 6 = log 2 + log 3 log (2 + 3) log (2 x 3) (c) Since loga 1 = 0, so log10 1 = 0. (d) log (1 + 2 + 3) = log 6 = log (1 x 2 x 3) = log 1 + log 2 + log 3. 5.If ax = by, then: A. log a = b B. log a = x log b y C. log a log b = y x

x y

D. None of these Answer: C Explanation: ax = by log ax = log by x log a = y log b log a = log b

y x

6.If logx y = 100 and log2 x = 10, then the value of y is: A. 210 B. 2100 C. 21000 D. 210000 Answer: C Explanation: log 2 x = 10 logx y = 100 y = x100 y = (210)100 y = 21000.

x = 210. [put value of x]

7.If logx 16 A. 3 4 C. 81 256 D. 256 81 Answer: D Explanation: logx x-1/2 = 1 x 16 9 256 81 3 4 B.

= 2

, then x is equal to:

9 16 9 16 =

= -

1 2

9 16 2

x = x = x =

16 9

8.If log 2 = 0.30103, the number of digits in 264 is: A. 18 B. 19 C. 20 D. 21 Answer: C Explanation: log (264) = 64 x log 2 = (64 x 0.30103) = 19.26592 Its characteristic is 19. Hence, then number of digits in 264 is 20. 9.The value of log3 60 A. 0 1 C. 5 60 B. D. 1 + 1 log4 60 + 1 log5 60 is:

Answer: B

Explanation: Given expression = log60 3 + log60 4 + log60 5 = log60 (3 x 4 x 5) = log60 60 = 1. 10.If log10 5 + log10 (5x + 1) = log10 (x + 5) + 1, then x is equal to: A. 1 B. 3 C. 5 D. 10 Answer: B Explanation: log10 5 + log10 (5x + 1) = log10 (x + 5) + 1 log10 5 + log10 (5x + 1) = log10 (x + 5) + log10 10 log10 [5 (5x + 1)] = log10 [10(x + 5)] 5(5x + 1) = 10(x + 5) 5x + 1 = 2x + 10 3x = 9 x = 3. 11.If log10 2 = 0.3010, the value of log10 80 is: A. 1.6020 B. 1.9030 C. 3.9030 D. None of these Answer: B Explanation: log10 80 = log10 (8 x 10) = log10 8 + log10 10 = log10 (23 ) + 1 = 3 log10 2 + 1 = (3 x 0.3010) + 1 = 1.9030. 12. If log10 2 = 0.3010, then log2 10 is equal to: A. 699 301 B. 1000 301 C. 0.3010 D. 0.6990 Answer: B Explanation: log2 10 = 1 = 1 log10 2 0.3010 13. If log10 7 = a, then log10 70 A. - (1 + a) B.

= 3010 1

10000

= 1000 301 is equal to:

(1 + a)-1 C. a 10 D. 1 10a Answer: A Explanation: log10 = = = =

1 70 log10 1 - log10 70 - log10 (7 x 10) - (log10 7 + log10 10) - (a + 1).

14. If log 27 = 1.431, then the value of log 9 is: A. 0.934 B. 0.945 C. 0.954 D. 0.958 Answer: C Explanation: log 27 = 1.431 log (33 ) = 1.431 3 log 3 = 1.431 log 3 = 0.477 log 9 = log(32 ) = 2 log 3 = (2 x 0.477) = 0.954. (15-20). Evaluate each of the following in terms of x and y given x = log_2 3 and y = log_2 5. 15.log_2 15 A.x+y B.x-y C.x*y D.x/y Answer: A Since 15 = 3(5) Explanation:log_2 15=log_2 d3(5)=log_2 3+log_2 5=x+y 16. log_2 d(7.5) A.x+y+1 B.x-y-1 C.x*y+1 D.x+y-1 Answer:D Explanation: Since we already know log_2 15=x+y, we note that 7.5 = 15/2. This is a bit tricky, but remember that in addition to log_2 3 and log_2 5 , we also know log_2 2= 1: log_2 d(7.5) = log_2 15/2 = log_2 15 - log_2 2 = x+y-1 17. log_3 2 A.x/y B.y/x C.1/y D.1/x Answer:D Explanation: Since we have a di erent base in this than in the given quantities x and y, we look for a property which allows us to change the base. log_3 2=log_2 2/log_2 3=1/x. 18. log_3 15 A.1+x/y B.1+y/x C.1+1/y D.1+1/x Answer: B Explanation: First, 15 = 3(5), and we knowlog_3 3, log_3 15=log_3 3+log_3 5=1+log_3 5. Now we must nd a logarithm with base 3, but we only know base 2 logarithms. Then( @ log)_3 15=1+log_3 5=1+log_2 5/log_2 3= 1 +

y/x. 19.log_4 9 A.x/y B.y/x C.y D.x Answer: D Explanation: Our base is the square of the base we are given in our information , always try to manipulate the bases so they are the same, or as close as possib le, throughout the problem. When working with various powers of the same number, like 2 and 4, log_4 9=log_(2^2 ) d3^2 =log_2 3 = x. 20. log_5 6 A.x+1/y B.y+1/x C.1/y+1 D.1/x+1 Answer: A Explanation: Seeing a di erent base that is not a power of 2. Noting that 6=2(3), log_5 6=log_2 6/log_2 5 =d log_2 (2*3)/log_2 5 =(1+x)/y 21.d log_2 32= A.5/2 B.5 C.10 D.1/10 Answer: C Explanation: d log_2 32=d log_2 32/d log_2 2 =5/(1/2) d log_2 2/d log_2 2 22.d log_10 d(0.0001) A.1/4 B.-1/4 C.-4 D.4 Answer: C Explanation: log_10 d(0.0001)=log_10 d1/10000=log_10 dd10^(-4) =-4 23.d log_x 4=0.4,then find the value of x: A.1 B.4 C.16 D.32 Answer: D Explanation: log_x 4=0.4 then x^0.4=4 then x^(2/5)=4 then dx=4^(5/2) there fore x=32 24. Find all x such that log_6 d(x+2)+log_6 d(x+3)=1. A. x=-5,0 B. x=6,1 C. x=0 D. x=-5,6 Answer: C Explanation: Seeing the sum of two logarithms with the same base, which yields log_6 d(x+2)+log_6 d(x+3)=1=log_6 d(x^2+5x+6)=1. Putting this equation in exponential notation gives x^2+ 5x + 6 = 6, or x^2+ 5x = 0, so our solutions are x = 5 and x = 0. You may be tempted to stop here and cl aim that these are both valid solutions, but your last step in all problems invo lving logarithms must be checking that each solution makes the argument and the base of all logarithms positive. In the given problem the arguments of the initi al logarithms are negative when x = 5, so this is not a valid solution. The only valid solution is x = 0. 25. http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Store/products/ps-aops2/exc1.pdf