Best Approach

Logarithm
 Logarithm
KEY CONCEPTS (LOGARITHM)
THINGS TO REMEMBER :
1. LOGARITHM OF A NUMBER :
REMEMBER
The logarithm of the number N to the base 'a' is the exponent indicating
the power to which the base 'a' must be raised to obtain the number N. log102 = 0.3010
This number is designated as loga N. log103 = 0.4771
Hence : logaN = x  ax =N , a>0 , a1 & N>0 ln 2 = 0.693
If a = 10 , then we write log b rather than log10 b . ln 10 = 2.303
If a = e , we write ln b rather than loge b .
The existence and uniqueness of the number loga N follows from the properties of an exponential
functions.
From the definition of the logarithm of the number N to the base 'a' , we have an
log a N
identity : a =N , a>0 , a1 & N>0
This is known as the FUNDAMENTAL LOGARITHMIC IDENTITY .
NOTE :loga1 = 0 (a > 0 , a  1)
loga a = 1 (a > 0 , a  1) and
log1/a a = - 1 (a > 0 , a  1)
2. THE PRINCIPAL PROPERTIES OF LOGARITHMS :
Let M & N are arbitrary posiitive numbers , a > 0 , a  1 , b > 0 , b  1 and  is any real number
then ;
(i) loga (M . N) = loga M + loga N (ii) loga (M/N) = loga M  loga N
log a M
(iii) loga M = . loga M (iv) logb M =
log a b
NOTE :  logba . logab = 1  logba = 1/logab.  logba . logcb . logac = 1
x
ln a
 logy x . logz y . loga z = logax.  e = ax
3.
(i) * PROPERTIES OF MONOTONOCITY OF LOGARITHM :
For a > 1 the inequality 0 < x < y & loga x < loga y are equivalent.
(ii) For 0 < a < 1 the inequality 0 < x < y & loga x > loga y are equivalent.
(iii) If a > 1 then loga x < p  0 < x < ap
(iv) If a > 1 then logax > p  x > ap
(v) If 0 < a < 1 then loga x < p  x > ap
(vi) If 0 < a < 1 then logax > p  0 < x < ap

NOTE THAT :
 If the number & the base are on one side of the unity , then the logarithm is positive ; If the number &
the base are on different sides of unity, then the logarithm is negative.
 The base of the logarithm ‘a’ must not equal unity otherwise numbers not equal to unity will not have
a logarithm & any number will be the logarithm of unity.
n
 For a non negative number 'a' & n  2 , n  N a = a1/n.

* Will be covered in detail in QUADRATIC EQAUTION

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
2
 Logarithm
SOLVED EXAMPLES
1
1. If log 8 b  3 , then find the value of b.
3

1 2 10
Sol. log 8 b  3  log 2 b   log 2 b  5  b  25  32
3 3 3

1 1 1 1
2. If n > 1, then prove that =   .....  
log 2 n log3 n log53 n log53! n

1
Sol. The given expression is equal to logn2 + logn3 + ..... + logn53 = logn(2.3 ...... 53) = logn 53! =
log 53! n

3. Prove that number log2 7 is an irrational number

Sol. Let log27 is a rational number
p
 log27 =  7 = 2p/q  7q = 2p which is not possible for any integral values of p and q.
q
Hence, log2 7 is irrational.

1 1 1
4. Simplify  
1  loga bc 1  log b ca 1  log c ab

1 1 1
Sol.  
1  loga bc 1  log b ca 1  log c ab

log a log b log c

   1
log a  log b  log c log a  log b  log c log a  log b  log c
5. Solve log2 (3x – 2) = log1/2 x.

log 2 x
Sol. log2(3x – 2) = log1/2 x =  log 2 x 1
log 2 21

 3x – 2 = x–1  3x2 – 2x = 1  x = 1 or x = –1/3. But log2 (3x – 2) and log1/2 x are meaningful only if x > 2/3.
Hence, x = 1.

 1 2 1 
6. If log 25 = a and log 225 = b, then find the value of log      log   in terms of a and b (base of the log is 10).
 9    2250 
 
Sol. log 25 = a ; log 225 = b
2 log 5 = a ; log (25 . 9) = b or log 25 + 2 log 3 = 3  2 log 3 = b – a
2
Now 1  1 
log    log  
9
   2250 
= –2 log 9 – log 2250
= –4 log 3 – [log 225 + log 10]
= –2 (b – a) – [b + 1]
= –2b + 2a – b – 1 = 2a – 3b – 1

1 1
7. Compute the value of  .
log 2 36 log3 36

1 1 1
Sol.   log36 2  log36 3  log36 6  .
log 2 36 log3 36 2

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
3
 Logarithm
8. If logx–3 (2x – 3) is a meaningful quantity then find the interval in which x must lie.
Sol. x – 3 > 0, x – 3  1 and 2x – 3 > 0
x > 3 ; x  4 and x > 3/2
Hence x  (3, 4)  (4,  )
9. Compute log6 16 if log12 27 = a.
Sol. The chain of transformations
4 4
log6 16 = 4 log6 2 = 
log 2 6 1  log 2 3

Shows us that we have to know log2 3 in order to find log6 16.

We find it from the condition log12 27 = a :

3 3 3 3log 2 3
a  log12 27  3log12 3    
log3 12 1  2log3 2 1  2 2  log 2 3
log 2 3

2a
which means that log 2 3  (Note that, obviously, a  3).
3 a

4(3  a)
We finally have log6 16  .
3a
10. Let x = (0.15)20. Find the characteristic and mantissa in the logarithm of x, to the base 10. Assume log102 = 0.301 and
log103 = 0.477.

 15 
Sol. log x = log (0.15)20 = 20 log  
 100 
= 20 [log 15 – 2] = 20 [log 3 + log 5 – 2]
= 20 [log 3 + 1 – log 2 – 2]
= 20 [– 1 + log 3 – log 2]
= 20 [– 1 + 0.477 – 0.301]

= –20 × 0.824 = – 16.48 = 17.52

Hence characteristic = – 17 and mantissa = 0.52
11. Find the number of positive integers which have the characteristic 3, when the base of the logarithm is 7.
Sol. log7 N = x where 3  x < 4
 73  N < 74
 number of integers are 2058
12. How many digits are contained in the number 275?
Sol. Computing log 275, we have log 275  75. log 2 = 75. 0.3010 = 22.5750.
Consequently, the characteristic of this common logarithm is equal to 22.
Therefore, 275 = a. 1022. where 1  a < 10, a is an integer, and, hence the number 275 has 23 digits.
13. Solve the equation log3(x2 – 3x – 5) = log3 (7 – 2x).
Sol. The equation is equivalent to the following mixed system :

 x 2  3x  5  7  2x
 2
 x  3x  5  0
7  2x  0


Solving the equation of this system, we get : x1 = 4, x2 = –3.

Of these two values only x = –3 satisfies both inequalities of system (that is, the value x = 4 does not belong to the

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
4
 Logarithm
domain of equation).
Therefore, x = –3 is the solution.
1
14. Prove that log log3 2 0
2
Sol. SInce 0 < log3 2 < 1 and 1/2 < 1, it follows that the inequality is valid.
15. What can be said about the number x if it is known that for ever real a  0, logx(a2 + 1) < 0 ?
Sol. For every a  0 the number 1 + a2 > 1.
Since the logarithm of a number greater than unity is negative only to a base less than unity, it follows that 0 < x < 1.
1 1
16. Solve the inequality  1
log 2 x log 2 x  1

Sol. Reducing the fractions on the left hand side to a common denominator, we find

1 1  log 2 x(log 2 x  1)
1 0
log 2 x(log 2 x  1) log 2 x(log 2 x  1)
The numerator of the last expression is positive since we have
2
 1 3
1  log 22 x  log 2 x   log 2 x   
 2 4
 log2x (log2x – 1) > 0,
which is fulfilled for x > 2 and 0 < x < 1.
17. If x6 – y6 = z6 , (x, y, z are all positive and z  1), then

 1 
logz(x2 – y2) + logz(x2 + y2 – xy) – logz  2 2 
 x  y  xy 
Ans. 6
Sol. logz (x2 – y2) (x2 + y2 – xy) (x2 + x2 + xy)
= logz (x + y) (x – y) (x2 + y2 – xy) (x2 + y2 + xy)
= logz (x + y) (x2 + y2 – xy) · (x – y) (x2 + y2 + xy)
= logz (x3 + y3). (x3 – y3)
18. Let N = 0.00000165. Characteristic of log10 N is :
Ans. –6
Sol. N = 1.65 × 10–6
log N = log (1.65 × 10–6)

= log(1.65)  6)
(
 
mantissa characteristic

19. a, b, c are 3 numbers, Characteristic of thier logarithms to the base 10 are 5, –3, 2 respectively. The maximum numbers
of digits in N = abc, could be
Ans. 7
Sol. Given
log a = 5 + 1
log b = –3 + 2
log c = 2 + 3
where 1 , 2 , 3 are mantissas.
   [0, 1)
Adding the above equations

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
5
 Logarithm
log abc = 4  1  2  3

can vary from [0,3)

 log (abc)  [4, 7)  log N  [4, 7)

 Maximum possible characteristic of log N = 6
 Maximum no. of digits = 6 + 1 = 7
20. Number of solutions of the equation.

 7x  3x 2  4 
log10  2   log10 (0.9) is/are
 5x  2x  3 
Ans. 0
Sol. 0.9  1

7x  3x 2  4
 on solving 1
5x  2x 2  3
We get x = 1

0
For x = 1 we get   which is not defined.
0

EXERCISE–I
1. Which is the correct order for a given number d, d > 1
(A) log2 d < log3 d < loge d < log8 d (B) log8 d < log3 d < loge d < log2 d
(C) log8 d < loge d < log2 d < log3 d (D) log3 d < loge d < log2 d < log8 d
2. If log 27 = 1.431 then the value of log 9 is
3. If x = log2a a, y = log3a 2a, z = log4a 3a, then the value of x y z + 1 is
(A) yz (B) 2yz (C) y + z (D) y – z
4. Let 3a = 4, 4b = 5, 5c = 6, 6d = 7, 7e = 8, and 8f = 9, then find the value of the product abcdef :
5. If log5 a . loga x = 2, then x is equal to :

81 25 16
6. Value of 3 log + 5 log + 7 log is
80 24 15

2
7. f(x) = log10 x . The set of all values of x for which f(x) is real is :

8. Value of x log x aloga ylog y z :

9. If log2 x + log2 y  6, then the least value of x + y is :
10. A rational number which is 50 times its own logarithim to the base 10 is :
11. If x = log5 (1000) and y = log7 (2058) then which is greater ?

12. If 4log9 3  9log 2 4  10log x 83 then x is equal to :

 a  b  na  nb a b
13. If n   then  is equal to :
 3  2 b a

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
6
 Logarithm
14. If log 2 = 0.30103 the no. of digits in 264 is :
15. The number of zeroes coming immediately after the decimal point in the value of (0.2)25 is :
(Given log10 2 : 0.30103)

a loga b (log a 2 b)(log b 2 a)

16. Value of 6
eloge alog e b
17. The solution set of log2 |4 – 5x| > 2 is :

1
18. If  log0.1 x  2 then 'x' belongs to :
2

19. The solution set of log11 log7  

x  5  x = 0 is :

20. Solve for 'x' in the equation : ln(x – 3) + ln(x – 2) = ln(2x + 24) :

EXERCISE–II

 ab  (ab) 2  4(a  b)   2 
1. Let A denotes the value of log10   + log  ab  (ab)  4(a  b) 
 2  10 
2 
   
when a = 43 and b = 57
and B denotes the value of the expression 2log6 18 · 3log6 3 .  
Find the value of (A · B).
2. (a) If x = log34 and y = log53, find the value of log310 and log3(1.2) in terms of x and y.
2
log2 5
(b) If k = 16, find the value of k (log 2 5) .
Solve for x (3 to 5)
3. (a) If log10 (x2  12x + 36) = 2 (b) 91+logx  31+logx  210 = 0 ; where base of log is 3.

log b log b N 
log b a
4. Simplify : (a) log1/3 4 729.3 9 1.27 4 / 3 ; (b) a

5. (a) If log4 log3 log2 x = 0 ; (b) If loge log5 [ 2 x  2  3] = 0

6. (a) Which is smaller? 2 or (log2 + log2 ). (b) Prove that log35 and log27 are both irrational.

7. Let a and b be real numbers greater than 1 for which there exists a positive real number c, different
from 1, such that
2(logac + logbc) = 9logabc. Find the largest possible value of logab.

8. Find the square of the sum of the roots of the equation

log3x · log4x · log5x = log3x · log4x + log4x · log5x + log5x · log3x.
2 3
9. Find the value of the expression 6
 .
log 4 (2000) log 5 (2000) 6
C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
7
 Logarithm
5log
4 2
3 6 6log8  3 2 
10. Calculate : 4
1 3
log 9 log 3
6 2
81 5 3  
11. Simplify :
409
.  7 log 25 7
125log 25 6 
 

12. Simplify : 5
2 
log1 / 5 1 4 1
.
log log1 / 2
2 7 3 10 2 21
2 2
13. Find 'x' satisfying the equation 4log10 x 1 – 6log10 x – 2.3log10 x = 0.
2 a 2b5
14. Given that log2a = s, log4b = s2 and log 2 (8) = 3 . Write log2 4 as a function of 's'
c s 1 c
(a, b, c > 0, c  1).
1log 7 2   log 5 4
15. Find the value of 49 +5 .
16. Given that log2 3 = a , log3 5 = b, log7 2 = c, express the logarithm of the number 63 to the base
140 in terms of a, b & c.
log 2 24 log 2192
17. Prove that  = 3.
log 96 2 log12 2

18. Prove that ax – by = 0 where x = loga b & y = log b a , a > 0 , b > 0 & a , b  1.
log 3 7 log 7 11 log11 25
19. If a, b, c are positive real numbers such that a = 27 ; b = 49 and c = 11 . Find the
(log 7 ) 2 (log 11) 2 (log 25) 2 
value of  a 3  b 7  c 11 .
 
log10 ( x 3) 1
20. (a) Solve for x , 
log10 x 2 21   2
(b) log (log x) + log (log x3  2) = 0 ; where base of log is 10 everywhere.
(c) logx2 . log2x2 = log4x2 (d) 5logx + 5 xlog5 = 3 (a > 0) ; where base of log is a.
10 xy
21. If x, y > 0, logyx + logxy = and xy = 144, then = N where N is a natural number, find the
3 2
value of N.

22. Solve the system of equations:

log a x log a ( xyz )  48
log a y log a ( xyz )  12 , a > 0, a  1.
log a z log a ( xyz )  84

23. (a) Given : log1034.56 = 1.5386, find log103.456 ; log100.3456 & log100.003456.

(b) Find the number of positive integers which have the characteristic 3, when the base of the
logarithm is 7.
(c) If log102 = 0.3010 & log103 = 0.4771, find the value of log10(2.25).

(d) Find the antilogarithm of 0.75, if the base of the logarithm is 2401.

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
8
 Logarithm
24. If log102 = 0.3010, log103 = 0.4771. Find the number of integers in :

(a) 5200 (b) 615 & (c) the number of zeros after the decimal in 3100.

25. Let 'L' denotes the antilog of 0.4 to the base 1024.
and 'M' denotes the number of digits in 610 (Given log102 = 0.3010, log103 = 0.4771)
and 'N' denotes the number of positive integers which have the characteristic 2, when base of the
logarithm is 6.
Find the value of LMN.
EXERCISE–III

Note : From Q.1 to Q.7, solve the equation for x :

1. xlogx+4 = 32, where base of logarithm is 2.

2. logx+1 (x² + x  6)2 = 4 3. x + log10(1 + 2x) = x . log105 + log106.

4. 5logx – 3logx-1 = 3logx+1 – 5logx-1, where the base of logarithm is 10.

1  log 2 ( x  4)
5. =1
log ( x  3  x  3)
2
6. log5 120 + (x  3)  2 . log5 (1  5x-3) = log5(0.2  5x-4)
 1 
7. log 4 + 1  2x  log 3 = log
 
x 3  27 .
x
8. If 'x' and 'y' are real numbers such that, 2 log(2y – 3x) = log x + log y, find .
y
9. The real x and y satisfy log8x + log4y2 = 5 and log8y + log4x2 = 7, find xy.

10. If a = log1218 & b = log2454 then find the value of ab + 5 (a  b).

11. If x = 1 + logabc , y = 1 + logbca, z = 1 + logcab, then prove that xyz = xy + yz + zx.

12. If p = loga bc, q = logb ca, r = logc ab, then prove that pqr = p + q + r + 2.

13. If logba . logca + logab . logcb + logac . logb c = 3 (Where a, b, c are different positive real numbers  1),
then find the value of abc.

14. Let y = log 2 3 ·log 2 12 ·log 2 48 ·log 2 192  16 – log212 · log248 + 10. Find y  N.

3
15. Solve the equation log4(x + 2)2 + 3 = log4(4 – x)3 + log4(6 + x)3.
2
16. Find the product of the positive roots of the equation (2008) ( x ) log 2008 x  x 2 .

4 4  2 2
17. Find x satisfying the equation log 2 1    log 2 1    2 log 

 1 .
 x  x4  x 1 

18. Solve : log3  x x 1  = log  4

9 x 3 4 x 1 

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
9
 Logarithm
 
 log 4 ab  log 4 ab  log 4 b  log 4 a  · log b
 a b a a b b a  2 if ba 1
19. Prove that : 2  =  log a b
2 if 1ba

 1  1
20. Solve for x : log2 (4  x) + log (4  x) . log  x    2 log2  x   = 0.
 2  2

EXERCISE–IV

1
1. Solve the following equations for x & y : log100|x + y| = [REE 96, 6]
2
log10 y – log10|x| = log100 4.
2. Find all real numbers x which satisfy the equation, [REE 96, 6]


2 log2(log2 x) + log1/2 log2 2 2 x = 1 
3. log3/4log8 (x2 + 7) + log1/2 log1/4 (x2 + 7)1 =  2. [REE 2000, 5 out of 100]
4. Number of solutions of log4(x – 1) = log2(x – 3) is
(A) 3 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 0 [JEE 2001 (Screening)]
5. Let (x0, y0) be solution of the following equations
(2x)ln2 = (3y)ln3 [JEE 2011]
3lnx = 2lny
1 1 1
Then x0 is : (A) (B) (C) (D) 6
6 3 2

 
1 1 1 1
6. The value of 6 + log 3  4 4 4 ...  is [JEE 2012]

2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 
 
1 1

7. The value of  (log 2 9)2  log2 (log2 9)  ( 7 ) log4 7 is [JEE Adv. 2018]

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
10
 Logarithm
ANSWER KEY
EXERCISE–I
1. B 2. 0.954 3. B 4. 2 5. x = 25
6. log 2 7. (–, –1]  [1, ) 8. z 9. 16 10. 100
11. x>y 12. 10 13. 7 14. 20 15. 17
3  1 1  484
16. 17. (–, 0)  (8/5, ) 18.  ,  19. x= 20. x=9
2 100 10  49

EXERCISE–II
xy  2 xy  2 y  2
1. 12 2. (a) , ; (b) 625 3. (a) x = 16 or x =  4 (b) x = 5
2y 2y
4. (a)  1 (b) logb N 5. (a) 8 (b) x = 3 6. (a) 2 7. 2 8. 3721
1
9. 1/6 10. 9 11. 1 12. 6 13. x =
100
1  2ac
14. 2s + 10s2 – 3(s3 + 1) 15. 25 16. 19. 469
2 2c  abc  1
2
20 (a) x=5 (b) x=10 (c) x = 2 or 2  2
(d) x = 2–loga where base of log is 5.
 1 1 1 
21. 507 22. (a4, a, a7) or  4 , , 7  23. (a) 0.5386; 1.5386 ; 3.5386 (b) 2058 (c) 0.3522 (d) 343
a a a 
24. (a) 140 (b) 12 (c) 47 25. 23040
EXERCISE–III
1
1. x = 2 or 2. x = 1 3. x = 1 4. x = 100 5. x = 5 6. x = 1 7. x 
32
8. 4/9 9. xy = 29 10. 1 13. abc = 1 14. y = 6 15. x = 2 or 1 – 33
 7 3  24 
16. (2008)2 17. x  2 or 6 18. [0, 1]  {4} 20. 0 , , 
 4 2 
EXERCISE–IV

1. {–10, 20}, {10/3, 20/3} 2. x=8 3. x = 3 or  3 4. B

5. C 6. 4 7. 8

C-9, ABC Tower, Near Madhushree Hotel, Behind Petrol Pump, New Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Jhalawar Road,
Kota, Rajasthan (324005), Ph. 9887173003, 9549945044
11