INTRODUCTION TO LOGARITHMS

INTRODUCTION TO LOGARITHMS Dear Reader Logarithms are a tool originally designed to simplify complicated arithmetic calculations. They were etensively used before the advent of calculators. Logarithms transform multiplication and division processes to addition and subtraction processes which are much simpler. As an illustration, you may try to multiply 987678 and 976 without using a calculator. Does the idea frighten you? Addition of the above numbers is however a lot simpler. With the advent of calculating machines; the dependence on logarithms has been greatly reduced. However the logarithms have still not become obsolete. They are still relevant, rather a very important tool, in fields like the study of radioactive decay rates in Physics and order of reactions in Chemistry. The study of logarithms, and their simple power property is of importance to us. To begin with, we will define logarithms and use them to solve simple eponential equations. What does logarithm mean? This is the first question to which we would seek an answer. Logarithms have a precise mathematical definition as under: For a positive number b (called the base); if p b = n; then log b The above epression is read as: "logarithm (or simply log) of a given number (n), to a base (b), is the power (p), to which the base has to the raised, to get the number n". Does the definition leave you confused? Try this simple eample as an illustration. We have So log 8

i.e. logarithm or log of the number () to the base (), is the power (=) to which the base () has to be raised to get the number (). Remember, logarithms will always be related to eponential equations. For a very clear understanding of logarithm, it is important that we learn how to convert an eponential equation to its logarithm form and also to convert logarithmic epression to eponential form. Let us consider a few eamples to develop clarity about the concept of logarithm. Eponential to Logarithmic Form Eample : Write 8in logarithmic form. Solution: Here number - 8; Base = ; Eponent / Power = = ; this is read as: "log of 8 to base is ". Eample : Write 8 = 6 in logarithmic form. Solution: log8 6 = ; this is read as "log of 6, to base 8, is. Eample : Write in logarithmic form. Solution: log 6 = -; this is read as log of DO IT YOURSELF Epress the following in logarithmic form:. 7 = 8. 7 = 6 to the base is ".. 9

.. 6. ANSWERS.... log 7. log6 6. log6 Epressing Logarithmic Epression in Eponential form We have studied how to write eponential epressions in their equivalent logarithmic epressions. We will now take up some eamples to epress a given logarithmic epression in its equivalent eponential form. Illustration Eample :, in logarithmic form, it can be written as 9 = 8 in eponential form. This is just the reverse of what we have studied in the definition of logarithms. Eample : Write 6 in eponential form.

Solution: Eample : Write in eponential form. Solution: = DO IT YOURSELF Epress the following epressions in eponential form.. 7. log 6 6 ANSWERS... 6 6 Hence logarithms are related to eponential equations. Solving eponential and logarithmic equations Eample : Calculate if log6 6 Solution: Rewriting the given equation in eponential form; we get 6 = 6 Also 6 =6 Comparing; we get =

Eample : Solve for Solution: We can write = 8 8 8 = 8 Eample : Solve for : log 6 Solution: We have 6 Also 6 Eample : Evaluate log 6 Solution: Suppose log 6 Then Eample : Evaluate log 8 8 Solution: Let log8 8 be y. Then log8 8 = y y In eponential form 8 8 y Eample 6: Evaluate log 9 Suppose log 9 y Then log 9 y / y/ 9 y 6

Equality of Logarithmic Functions For b and b if and only if, = y i.e. if logs of two numbers, to a given positive base b are equal, the numbers are also equal. We can use this equality to solve the following types of equation: Eample : Solve for Solution: As the bases on the two sides are equal, we have 9 = Eample : Solve for Solution: As the bases on the two sides are equal, and the logs are given to be equal, we have or -7 +6= Factorizing ( 6) ( ) = Eample : Solve for Solution: As the bases on the two sides are the same, and the logs are equal, we have y y or y y or y 8 y y = 8 or y =

The equation appears to have two solutions. However, logarithm of a negative number is not defined. As bases are positive; the arguments would also by essentially positive. y = is not a solution. Hence y = 8. Note: is not defined; because y can never be negative. Hence is not defined. DO IT YOURSELF. log log 8, find.. log 7 y 8 log7 6y, find y.. log log, find. ANSWERS.. ;. 7 Fundamental Laws of Logarithms (i) Law of Product If log a and log b

Then y p.q a.a a y which implies The law of product, stated above, can be etended to any number of quantities. i.e. (ii) Law of Quotient p q If log a and log a we have q a y which implies p q (iii) Law of Power The law of power is an etension of the law of product.

Other laws of logarithms. a. a. log a p b a p b (Base change formula) Eample: If Solution: As y evaluate yz. Taking logs; Similarly from we get y and z logb loga loga.y.z... log a log b log c Systems of Logarithms Common Logarithms: (Base ). Common logarithms use base. The usual logarithmic tables use base. Natural Logarithms: Natural logarithms use base e. It is also denoted as n read as natural log of. e is an irrational number given by the (inifinte) series A rough value of is (nearly).78. 6

Using Common Logarithms for Calculation / Computation As stated earlier logarithms are used to simplify calculations. From the definition of the logarithms, it is easy to realize that the logarithm of any given number, to a given base (=, for common logarithms), would not be always an integral number. It would, in general, have an integral as well as a fractional part. The logarithm of a number, therefore consists of the following two parts: (a) (b) Characteristic: It is the integral part of the logarithm. Mantissa: It is the fractional, or decimal part, of the logarithm. If N, the characteristic is and mantissa is. Remember. The characteristic, the integral part of the logarithm, may be positive, zero or negative.. The decimal part, or the mantissa, is always taken as positive.. In case the logarithm of a number is negative, the characteristic and mantissa are rearranged, to make the mantissa positive. This is discussed in the following eamples. Eample Suppose We write N N = ( ) + (.) = ( ) + (.+) [Add and subtract ] = + (.767) The characteristics becomes and mantissa becomes +.767. The negative characteristic is represented by putting a bar on the number. 7

We, therefore, write N Here implies that the characteristics is. Using Logarithms We fight below the TABLE (to the base ) (i) (ii) The Logarithms (common) The Antilogarithms (common) It is these tables that are used for detailed calculation using logarithms. We now discuss the ways and means of using these tables. Log tables are the standard tables, available for to use for calculations. In general, these are four digit tables. Logarithmic tables, to the base, are the tables that are (almost) always used in practice. It may, therefore, be understood that the base of the logarithms, used in all our subsequent discussion, is the base (unless mentioned otherwise). As discussed above, the log of a number has two parts: the characteristic and the mantissa. Finding Characteristic: In order to find the characteristic part, it is convenient to epress the given number in its standard form, i.e., the product of a number between and, and a suitable power of. The power of, in the standard form of the number, gives the characteristic of the logarithm of the number. For numbers greater than, the characteristic is or positive. For numbers less than, the characteristic is negative. The logarithms of negative numbers are not defined. The standard form of a number and the characteristic can be computed as under: Eample : 97. =.97, [A number between and Power of ten] Characteristic of log 97. = Eample :.9 =.9, Characteristic = 8

Eample :. =. =., Characteristic = Eample : 7 =.7 8, Characteristic = 8 Note that in all the above four eamples; the number is greater than one and hence the characteristic is zero or positive. For numbers less than, epressed in standard form, the power of will always the negative and hence the characteristic will also be negative. Eample :.789 = 7.89, Characteristic = or Eample :.6 = 6., Characteristic of log (.6) = or Eample :.77 =.77, Characteristic of log (.77) = or. Mantissa It is the decimal / fractional part of the log of a given number. The mantissa is read off from the log tables. It is always positive. For a given number N, we epress the number in standard form the find the characteristic as detailed above. To find the mantissa, the decimal point, the zeros in the beginning, and at the end of the number, are ignored (i) The number is rounded off to the fourth place (say 7). (ii) Take the first two digit, i.e., and locate the same in the first column of the log table. (iii) Follow the horizontal row beginning with the first two digits (i.e. ) and look for the column under the third digit () of the four figure log table and record number (see figure ). [.899] 9

Figure (iv) Continue in the same horizontal row and record the mean difference under the fourth digit. [Mean difference = for 7] Add the mean difference, recorded in (iv), to the number in (iii). The mantissa is.899+. =.9 log (7) = (Ch) + (Mantissa) =.9 Eample : Find () log (.6) () log (9.7) Solution: ().6 =.6 (in standard form) Characteristic = = To find the mantissa, ignore the decimal point and add two more zeros at the end to make 6 a four digit number, i.e. 6 Locate 6 (the first two digits) in the first vertical column and read the same horizontal line under as shown. There is no mean difference as the fourth digit is zero.

log.6 =. 78 () 9.7 =.97 (Standard form) Characteristic = For the mantissa; see the table. We get: mantissa=.6 +. =. Log 9.7 =. DO IT YOURSELF Find logs of following. 9. 77..7 ANSWERS..66. 6...7

Using the (common) Antilogarithm table These tables are used to find the number whose logarithm (to the bo) has a known value The number N, whose logarithm is L, is called the antilogarithm of L. If log N = L, we have N = Antilog L We have (i) Log.6 =.78 [Eample above] Antilog.78 =.6 (ii) We have: log 9.7 =.; : Antilog. = 9.7 Finding Antilogarithms Let us now understand the procedure to be followed for finding antilogarithms from standard antilog tables that are available for computations. The following steps are followed to get the antilogarithm of a given number.. To read antilogarithm table; the characteristic is ignored. The tables are read only for the mantissa i.e. the decimal part. To get antilog of.78; we use only 78 to read the antilog tables.. Take the first two digits i.e. and locate in their position the first vertical column of the four figure antilog table.. Go through the horizontal row beginning with, and look up the value under the column headed by the third digit (7 in 78). The number, from the tables,. - - - - - - -6 6 7 8 9 Mean Difference 6 7 8 9 7 7 96 8 6 7 99 8 76 7 7 79 6 9 7 8 7 9 9 8 9 6 8 6 86 8 6 6 6 89 67 9 67 9 7 69 69 9 9 6 7

-7-8 -9 - - - - - - -6-7 -8-9 - - - - - - -6-7 -8-9 - - - - - - -6-7 -8-9 - - - - - - -6-7 -8-9 7 9 88 8 9 8 79 9 8 6 66 698 78 778 8 86 9 9 99 89 8 88 9 9 99 7 6 69 7 88 88 9 9 78 6 9 8 6 9 8 7 89 66 66 7 7 78 8 866 9 9 6 9 9 96 6 8 76 66 698 76 8 89 98 7 97 8 8 6 6 9 87 9 86 6 9 69 667 76 76 786 88 87 9 99 99 8 98 9 66 8 6 7 767 8 897 96 8 9 68 97 7 8 9 89 6 96 6 67 7 7 79 8 87 99 96 9 6 7 6 7 9 88 69 7 77 88 9 97 86 7 6 9 6 9 9 8 6 6 67 67 7 7 79 87 879 9 968 6 9 8 8 9 66 77 9 6 76 78 8 9 979 8 9 89 6 7 6 96 9 6 96 67 6 6 679 78 78 799 8 88 98 97 8 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 6 66 7 786 8 97 98 6 9 9 7 76 6 7 68 66 7 67 6 68 7 76 8 8 888 9 977 7 8 68 8 7 77 89 7 66 667 79 79 88 9 99 6 9 79 9 7 69 8 7 6 68 687 76 766 87 89 89 96 98 8 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 6 67 7 799 86 9 999 69 97 8 7 6 9 7 7 78 6 6 69 7 77 8 8 897 9 986 8 8 78 8 8 88 9 68 679 7 8 87 98 6 76 8 99 7 6 8 6 77 9 76 8 68 66 69 7 77 86 88 9 9 99 7 8 8 86 9 9 9 6 6 6 68 78 8 877 9 8 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 8 9 6 7 8 9 Figure

. In the same horizontal row, see the mean difference under the fourth digit (8 in 78) and add it to. We get ( + = 7). Write this number in standard form (=.7) and multiply by () raised to a power equal to the characteristic part we than get the antilog of the given log value Antilog.78 =.7 We will illustrate it by another eample. Find antilog.8897 Take the decimal part i.e..8897 Locate 88 in the first column of the antilog table and read the horizontal line in the column under 9. The number is 77. Add mean different under the fourth digit 7 (8897) i.e. to get (77 + ) = 777. Write it is standard form 7.77 and multiply by characteristic (= ) Antilog (.8897) = 7.77 Use of Logarithms Eample : Calculate.89 7. Solution: Suppose =.89 7. Log = log.89 + log 7 + log. = log (.89 ) + log (7. ) + log (. ) =.9 +.866 +.76 =.6 +.76 =.6 + ( +.76) =.9 = Antilog of.9

Eample : Evaluate 7 9798 Solution: Let be 7 9798 Taking logs; we get log = log = log 7 log 9798 = log (7. ) log (9.798 ) =.86.99 =.8688 = Antilog (.8688) = 7.9 =.7 Eample : Evaluate (7) 7 Solution: Suppose = (7) 7 log = 7 log (7) = 7 log (.7 ) = 7.66 =. = Antilog (.) =.8 Eample : Evaluate (.9) / Solution: Suppose = (.9) /

log = = = ( ++.698) = ( +.698) = ( +.996) =.9 = antilog (.9) =.9 =.9 Emaple : Evaluate.6 Solution: Suppose =.6 Then log = log.6 = =.66 Negative characteristic should be made multiple of denominator (), before dividing. = = [Add and subtract ] = ( +.7) =.7 = Antilog (.7) =.8 =.8 6

DO IT YOURSELF. Evaluate the following: (.6) Y 8. Find the seventh root of.. The radius of a given sphere is 7. cm. Calculate its area. [Use area A = r ]. A cube of mass.9 g, has each edge of length 9.cm. Calculate the density of the cube. [Density ]. The radius, of a 9.7 cm long cylinder, is.7 cm. Calculate the volume of the cylinder. [Use V = r h] ANSWERS..698..98. 97. cm..7 g cm. 86 cm 7