Properties of Logarithms

Precalculus Midterm

Sahar Kanishka
LOGARITHMS

A logarithm is the inverse of an exponential function. A logarithm contains a base, an output, and an

exponent, to which the base is raised. The skeleton for a logarithm is logBA= C, where ‘B’ is the

base, ‘A’ is the output, and ‘C’ is the exponent that B is raised to, to achieve ‘A’. ‘A’ must always

be greater than zero, because it is not possible to have an output of zero. ‘B’ must also, always be

greater than one, and cannot equal one, because one raised to any power is one, and negative

numbers in the base, result in imaginary/ complex numbers. The output ‘C’ however, can be any real

number. An example of basic log properties is log525= 2, because 52=25.

PROPERTIES

Logarithms contain certain properties for when they are being added, subtracted, multiplied, divided,

and in other cases as well. There are five properties of logarithms: the product property, quotient

property, power property, change of base formula, and equality property. The product property is

used when two logarithms containing the same base are added together, is condensed, to the two

‘outputs’ being multiplied under the same base.

PRODUCT PROPERTY: LogaUV= LogaU + LogaV

The quotient property is used when two logarithms with the same base are subtracted from one another.

The outputs are divided under the same base.

U
QUOTIENT PROPERTY: Loga( )= LogaU- LogaV
V

The power property, takes an output that is raised to a power, and brings the power in front of the

logarithm.

POWER PROPERTY: LogaUn= nLogaU

The change of base formula, rewrites a logarithm using a different base, but contains the same final

answer and simplifies the calculations.

logW U
CHANGE OF BASE: LogaU= logW a
The final property is the equality property, which is used when the logarithm base is the same on both

sides of an equation. The outputs are set equal to each other and the logarithm is ignored (since the base is

the same on both sides of the equation).

EQUALITY PROPERTY: LogaU = LogaW, so U=W

EXAMPLES

Now that the logarithm properties have been covered, examples for each logarithm property will be

shown.

Product Property: Log6 (5•8)= Log65+ Log68

Log6 (40)= 2.06

5
Quotient Property: Log1016 = Log10 5- Log1016

Log102 = 0.3

Log105= 0.7

Log108= 0.9

5
Log1016 = 0.7- (0.3+0.9): adding together the 0.3 and 0.9 because log10 16 = log10 (8•2) and the log108 and

log102 are 0.9 and 0.3, respectively.

5
Log10 = 0.7- (0.3+0.9) = -0.5
16

Power Property: Log4162 = 2Log416

log2 16 4
Change of Base: Log816 = =
log2 8 3

Equality Property: Log2 4x+3 = Log2 6x-3

1
4x+3 = 6x-3  6= 2x, so x = 3

CONNECTIONS IN CLASS

The logarithm is a function, it can be used in any way that any other function is used, such as

graphing logarithms, transforming logarithm graphs, determining the limits on logarithm

functions, and using a logarithm as the function in Sigma notation.

F(x)= log(x)

Above, is a graph of the function F(x)= log(x). The limit of this graph as x approaches ∞, is ∞.

Tying together the graph of F(x)= log(x) with limits, is just the beginning of what logarithms can

do. The graph of F(x)= log(x) can be manipulated by transforming it through vertical and

horizontal shifts and stretches. Another example of a way that the logarithm applies to other

concepts in math is Sigma notation. The logarithm can be used as the function inside of the

Sigma, for example, if ∑100

1 log(𝑥), the sum would equal 157.97, however the domain must

remain as x > 1, because as stated before, the logarithm function cannot have outputs of x ≤ 0.

CONNECTIONS IN CHEMISTRY

Not only do logarithms connect with concepts in math, they are heavily used in chemistry as

well. Logarithms in chemistry are used to solve the pH of a certain solution, when it is being

[𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒]
titrated. In the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, pH= pKa + log [𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑] . Logarithms in chemistry

are also used to solve the ‘amount of energy available’ in the Gibbs Free Energy equation where

∆G = RTlnK, where the natural log is used. In the first order Integrated Rate Law equations used

in chemistry to determine the change in concentration of the reactants, the Quotient property is

used: ln[A]= ln[A]0 – kt  ln[A]- ln[A]0 = -kt  ln([A]/[A]0) = -kt

Logarithms in chemistry are very imperative, because they apply to many equations used

throughout different topics in chemistry, whether it is calculating the pH of a solution

undergoing titration, or solving for the concentration of reactants, logarithms are necessary for

solving these problems, along with many others.