Maths Indices and Logarithms

Notes

1. Indices
A. Laws

x 0=1
x a xb =x a+b
x a x b=x ab
b

( x a ) =x ab
( x )a=

1
a
x

(x)a =a x

Examples.
o

x x

x 2 2 x 5 ,

Simplify: 10000000,
7

x8
12
x

4 z 2 z2 ,

( 3 x 2)

(2 x )3 ,

( 16 x 2 ) 2

Express in indices form:

1
x2 ,

3 x2

2 2

(3 x )

B. Equations

x a= y b
if x= y then a=b

This means that if the base numbers are the same, then the indices are also the same.
Examples.
o

Solve:

4 x1=8 x ,

92 x1=27x ,

1
2

x2

83 x

2. Logarithms
A. Definition

y=ax
x=log a y

Examples.

B. Laws

log a 1=0
log a a=1

Write the following in exponential form:

Write the following in logarithm form:

log 4 x=10 ,
x=34 ,

log x 3=4 ,

2= y 4 ,

3=5 z

2 log 5 6=x

Maths Indices and Logarithms

Notes

log a xy=log a x + log a y

x
log a =log a xlog a y
y
log a x b=b log a x
log a b=

log c a
log c b

Examples.
o

2
Expand: log e xy z ,

Simplify:

log 2

2 log 3 2log 3 8 ,

8 x2
y ,

2 log e (x2 y)3

5 log 3 9+2 log 3 27 ,

3 log 4 16 x 2 log 4 (4 x )

C. Equations

log a x=log b y
if a=b then x= y

Examples.
o

Solve:

log e x +2 log e 3=log e 18 ,

log b ( x1)+ logb 3=log b x ,

log a 8+ log a x 2=log a x