TOPIC 2: EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS

2.1 : Relationship Between Exponential And Logarithmic Functions

Example 1
Convert the following to logarithm form:
1
a) 23 = 8 (b) 3-2 = (c) 2x = 47
9

Example 2
Convert the following to exponential form/ index form:
a) log2 32 =5 (b) log3 27 = 3 (c) log2 y = x

Example 3
Find the value of each of the following:
(a) log 2 64 (b) log 3 1 (c) log 7 7 (d) log4 16-1
(e) log3  1  (f) log 8 0.25
 81 

The important property is y  ax a  0 , a 1

x  log a y , y  0, a  0, a  1
log a 1  0,
log a a  1,
log a a b  b,
log a  a  undefined / no solution

2.2: Properties of Logarithms

Law of logarithms.
There are four basic laws of logarithms.

(1) log a mn  log a m  log a n For two logarithms of the same base,
m loga M = loga N
(2) log a  log a m  log a n
n
Then, M = N
(3) log a m n  n log a m
log c b
(4)log a b 
log c a

Example 4
Simplify the following, expressing each as a single logarithm:
(a) log 2 4 + log 2 5 – log210
(b) 2log a 5 – 3 log a 2
(c) log 8 4 + log 2 16

Example 5
If log 2 = r and log 3 = s, express in terms of r and s
(a) log 16
(b) log 18
(c) log 13.5
Exercise 2.1: Logarithmic and Exponential functions

1. Write each of the following in the form y = bx.

(a) log28 = 3
(b) log381 = 4
(c) log50.04 = -2
(d) log7x = 4
(e) logx5 = t
(f) logpq = r

2. Write each of the following in the form x = logby.

(a) 23 = 8
(b) 36 = 729
(c) 4-3 = 641
(d) a8 = 20
(e) h9 = g
(f) mn = p

3. Evaluate the following:

(a) log216
(b) log416
(c) log7 1
49
(d) log41
(e) log55
(f) log27 1
3
(g) log168
(h) log3 2 2
(i) log 2 8 2

4. Find the value of y in each of the following.

(a) logy 49 = 2
(b) log4 y = -3
(c) log3 81 = y
(d) log10 y = -1
(e) log2 y = 2.5
(f) logy 1296 = 4
(g) log 1 y  8
2

(h) log 1 1024  y

2
(i) logy 27 = -6

Page 34, Exercise 3A: Question 6, 7, 8, 9 (a) – (e)

Exercise 2.2: Law of logarithms

1. Write each of the following in terms of log p, log q and log r. The logarithms have
base 10.
(a) log pqr
(b) log pq2r3
(c) log 100pr5
p
(d) log
q 2r
pq
(e) log 2
r
1
(f) log
pqr
p
(g) log
r
qr 7 p
(h) log
10
10 p 10 r
(i) log
q

2. Express as a single logarithm, simplifying where possible. (All the logarithms

have base 10, so, for example, an answer of log 100 simplifies to 2.)
(a) 2log 5 + log 4
(b) 2log 2 + log 150 – log 6000
(c) 3log 5 + 5 log3
(d) 2log 4 – 4log 2
(e) log 24  12 log 9  log 125
(f) 3log 2 + 3log 5 – log 106
(g) 12 log 16  13 log 8
(h) log 64 – 2log 4 + 5log 2 – log 27

3. If log 3 = p, log 5 = q, log 10 = r, express the following in terms of p, q and r. (All

the logarithms have the same unspecified base.)
(a) log 2
(b) log 45
(c) log 90
(d) log 0.2
(e) log 750
(f) log 60
(g) log 16
(h) log 4.05
(i) log0.15

Page 36, Exercise 3B: 1, 2, 3