Exercise 2 6: Finding the inverse of y = b

x
1. Write the following in logarithmic form:
a) 16 = 2
4
b) 3
5
=
1
243
c) (1,7)
3
= 4,913
d) y = 2
x
e) q = 4
5
f) 4 = y
g
g) 9 = (x 4)
p
h) 3 = m
(a+4)
2. Express each of the following logarithms in words and then write in exponential
form:
a) log
2
32 = 5
b) log
1
1000
= 3
c) log 0,1 = 1
d) log
d
c = b
e) log
5
1 = 0
f) log
3
1
81
= 4
g) log 100
h) log1
2
16
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1a. 28BS 1b. 28BT 1c. 28BV 1d. 28BW 1e. 28BX 1f. 28BY
1g. 28BZ 1h. 28C2 2a. 28C3 2b. 28C4 2c. 28C5 2d. 28C6
2e. 28C7 2f. 28C8 2g. 28C9 2h. 28CB
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Logarithm bases EMCFJ
From the denition of a logarithm we know that the base of a logarithm must be a
positive number and it cannot be equal to 1. The value of the base inuences the
value of the logarithm. For example, log
2
2 is not the same as log2 and log
f
11 is not
the same as log
g
11, (f = g).
We often calculate the common logarithm, which has a base 10 and can be written
as log
10
x = log x. For example, log 8 = log
10
8.
The natural logarithm, which has a base e (an irrational number between 2,71 and
2,72), can be written as log
e
x = ln x. For example, log
e
5 = ln 5.
Special logarithmic values
log
a
1 = 0
Given the exponential form a
n
= x
we dene the logarithmic function log
a
x = n
So then for a
0
= 1
we can write log
a
1 = 0
log
a
a = 1
From the general exponential form a
n
= x
we dene the logarithmic function log
a
x = n
Since a
1
= a
we can write log
a
a = 1
74 2.6. Exponential functions