Masio Sangster

Mrs. Strong
Secondary Math 3
4/30/17
Properties of Logs

There are many ways to define Logarithms, because they are so fundamental to math.
First, a note on terminology: sometimes log(x) means a generic function in the family,
and sometimes it means a specific function (usually the ones called log base 10 or
log base e/ the natural log). I am using it in this case to mean anything in the family.
A logarithm is a function, usually from the positive real numbers to the real numbers.
Here are some properties:Logarithms are continuous, monotone (always increasing or
decreasing, but never changing direction) and have the very cool relation that log(x)
+log(y) = log(xy) (which implies that log(1)=0).

Ways of defining them:The most simplest way I could describe a Log is: The inverse
function of an exponential function.Another way of defining them is through the
properties continuous and log(x)+log(y)=log(xy)
A third method is using calculus and saying its derivative is 1/x or log(x) = the integral
from 1 to x of 1/y dy, which are equivalent.

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Now lets do some practice problems here are three Logs below that you can easily solve:

A. Log6(7) + Log6(Y)
B. Log7(d) Log7(3)
C. Log3(x^4)

If you are still confused on what a logarithm is think of it as an exponent: We know that 4 to the 4 th power
equals 256, which means the exponential value would be 4^4= 256. Now suppose that you wanted to turn
this into log form you would write it as: Log4(256)= 4.
Logb(a)=c ---- b^c= a
B is the base
C is the exponent
A is the power

Logarithms have a strong connection to Inverse functions believe it or not, the inverse of a log is its
exponential function. When you graph the log function and its inverse you also have to graph the line
y=x. Here is a couple of examples of an Inverse log:
Logarithms are used everywhere in the real world, anywhere you find
exponentials you will find logarithms. For example, if a population (people,
animals, bacteria, etc.) is allowed to grow unchecked at a constant rate of
reproduction, then the population at time tt will be rtrt times as large as the
initial population. So the time required for the population to increase by a factor
of kk is logrklogrk. Other real life situations where Log is used:

6 figures

Double digits

Order of magnitude

Interest rate

Ph value (Science)

Log is used for the Ph value on the scale. So since Ph measures

how acidic and basic a substance is, it ranges from 0 to 14. The
acidity depends on the [H+] ion ( Hydrogen). pH= -log10[H+]

1. pH= -log(1 * 10^-7)

2. = -log(1) log(10^-7)
3. =0 (-7)
4. =7

Cites: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/reference/chpt-4/logarithms/
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/jessicagarcia62/properties-of-logarithms
https://janav.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/logarithms-in-real-life/