Logarithmic And Exponential Functions
Logarithmic & Exponential Functions All-in-One Theory Sheet 2.1 Logarithms to Base 10 Definition: If 10 x = y , then log 10 y = x (written log y for short). ┌-----┐ │ 10 │ │ ^ │ ← Exponent │ y │ └-----┘ log 1000 = 3 because 10³ = 1000 log 0.01 = –2 because 10 –2 = 0.01 2.2 Logarithms to Any Base a Definition: If a x = y with a > 0 and a ≠ 1 , then log a y = x . log₂ 32 = 5 because 2⁵ = 32 log₅ 1 = 0 because 5⁰ = 1 2.3 The Three Laws of Logarithms ┌-------┐ │ Laws │ └-------┘ Product: log a (xy) = log a x + log a y Quotient: log a (x / y) = log a x – log a y Power: log a (x n ) = n log a x 2.4 Solving Logarithmic Equations Golden Rule: Logs only exist for positive numbers. Use the laws to get a single log on each side. Drop the log...