Exponentials & Logarithms

AQA Core 2 Algebra and functions
1 of 5 15/01/13 MEI
Section 2: Exponentials and logarithms

Notes and Examples

These notes contain subsections on
- Exponential functions
- Indices and logarithms
- The laws of logarithms
- Solving exponential equations using logarithms
- An old practical application of logarithms (extension work)

Exponential functions

An exponential function is any function of the form
x
y a = . The graphs below
show some different exponential functions.

You can explore graphs of this type using the Flash resource The graph of
y =kax.

Indices and logarithms

The important thing to remember about logarithms is that, although they
appear to be a new topic, they are simply about writing what you already
know about indices in a different way.

A logarithm is a power.
So the statement
3
2 8 =
can be written in the form
2
log 8 3 =
In general: log
x
a
b x a b = = .

1.5
x
y =
2
x
y =
5
x
y =
AQA C2 Algebra 2 Notes and Examples

2 of 5 15/01/13 ME
To remember this, notice that a is both the base of the logarithm and the base
of the index, and x, the logarithm, is the index. The value of log
a
b is the
answer to the question: What power must I raise a to in order to get b?

If you find it difficult to work out the meaning of a statement involving
logarithms, it can be simpler to change the statement into the equivalent
statement involving indices.

Example 1
(i) Find
4
log 2
(ii) Find x, where
1
5 2
log x =

Solution
(i) The statement
4
log 2 x = is equivalent to 4 2
x
= .
Since
1
2
4 2 = , then x must be
1
2
.
So
1
4 2
log 2 = .

(ii) The statement
1
5 2
log x = is equivalent to
1
2
5 x
= .
So
1
5
x = .

You can also look at the Flash resource Basic logarithms. For practice in
understanding statements involving logarithms, try the interactive questions
Bases of logarithms.

The laws of logarithms

The laws of logarithms are:

log log log
log log log
log log
n
x y xy
x
x y
y
x n x
+ =
=
=

As the first two laws of indices require the indices to have the same base,
then the first two laws of logarithms require the logarithms to have the same
base.

Example 2
(i) Write
3
log
x y
z
in terms of log x, log y and log z.


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(ii) Write
1
3
2log log log a b c as a single logarithm.

Solution
(i)
3
3
3 1 2
1
2
log log log log
log log log
3log log log
x y
x y z
z
x y z
x y z
= +
= +
= +

(ii)
2 1 3
1
3
2 3
2
3
2log log log log log log
log (log log )
log
a b c a b c
a b c
a
b c
=
= +
=

You can also look at the Flash resource Laws of logarithms, and you may
find the Mathcentre video Logarithms useful.

For some practice in using the laws of logarithms, try the Logarithms puzzle.

Logarithmic functions are the inverse of exponential functions: the function
log
a
y x = is the inverse of the function
x
y a = . This relationship is very useful
for solving equations, as shown below.

Solving exponential equations using logarithms

Logarithms are very useful for solving equations where the unknown variable
is an index, such as the equation 2 10
x
= .

Many equations are solved using inverse functions, for example you solve the
equation x + 3 = 5, in which addition is applied to the unknown variable, by
subtracting 3 from each side. Similarly you solve the equation x = 10 by using
the square root function, which is the inverse of the square function.

An equation like 2 10
x
= involves an exponential function of x. So to solve this
equation, it follows that you need to use the inverse of the exponential
function, which is the logarithm function. This is shown in the next example.

Example 3
Solve the following equations.
(i) 2 10
x
=
(ii)
2 1
3 4
x
=

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(iii)
1
0.2 2
x
=

Solution
(i) 2 10
log 2 log10
log 2 log10
log10
3.32
log 2
x
x
x
x
=
=
=
= =

(ii)
2 1
2 1
3 4
log3 log 4
(2 1) log3 log 4
log 4
2 1
log3
1 log 4
1 1.13
2 log3
x
x
x
x
x
=
=
=
=
| |
= + =
|
\ .

(iii)
1
1
0.2 2
log0.2 log 2
(1 ) log0.2 log 2
log 2
1
log0.2
log 2
1 1.43
log0.2
x
x
x
x
x
=
=
=
=
= =

You can see similar examples using the Flash resource Solving a^x =b. For
practice in this type of problem, try the interactive questions Logarithms:
Solving powers.

An old practical application of logarithms

Before calculators existed, logarithms were used to make calculations easier.
For example, suppose you had to divide 1432627 by 967253. You could do this
by long division, but it would take a long time and the chances of making a
mistake would be quite high. So you would apply the second law of
logarithms:
log (1432627 967253) = log 1432627 log 967253
To do the calculation, you would have to find the log to base 10 of the two
numbers, subtract the results, and then find the inverse log of the answer.

You would have to find the values of log 1432627 and log 967253 from a book
of tables. Unfortunately most tables would only tell you the values of log x for
values of x between 10 and 99. So you would then use the fact that

5 of 5 15/01/13 ME

log 1432627 log(14.32627 100000)
log14.32627 log100000
log14.32627 5
=
= +
= +

You would then use the tables to find the value of log 14.33 (which is as
accurate as most tables would give you). This would give a value for log
1432627 of 6.1562.

You would then go through a similar process to find log 967253.

log967253 log96.7253 log10000
1.9855 4
5.9855
= +
= +
=

Next you would subtract these two logarithms (without a calculator of
course!), giving 0.1707.

Now you would have to find the number whose logarithm is 0.1707. Inverse
log tables usually give values between 1 and 10.

0.1707 1.1707 1
log 14.81 log 10
14.81
log
10
log1.481
=
=
=
=

So 1432627 967253 = 1.481.

Most pupils did not understand the theory behind these calculations; they just
followed a set of instructions to use the tables of logarithms and work out the
calculation. Even after calculators became widely available, it was several
years before this technique was removed from examination syllabuses!
Logarithms were also the basis of slide rules, which were also used before
calculators existed to work out calculations quickly.

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AQA Core 2 Algebra and functions

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