Logarithms Functions

Author: Hannah Knisely, Kent Island High School, Queen Anne’s County Public Schools

Background Information
Subject: Algebra II

Grade Band: 9-12

Duration: 90 Minutes
Students will discover patterns within logarithmic functions, thus discovering logarithmic
properties. They will analyze and apply logarithmic functions to sound frequencies and
Overview: earthquakes. A STEM Specialist will help students interpret their findings with the properties
of logarithms as well as engage students in hands-on learning experiences that allow them to
draw connections between course content ant the work performed by STEM professionals.
Background Information: Teachers should familiarize themselves with the Properties of Logarithms:
 logAB=logA +logB
A
 log =logA−logB
B
 nlogA =log A n
 log b 1=0
 log b b=1
 log b b x =x
 b log x =x
b

1

x ( )
log x a =−a

Additionally, teachers should understand the scales for both decibels and magnitude and how
they relate to logarithms.
dB 1 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Sound 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 1010
Intensity

The Richter scale was developed to assign a single number to quantify the energy released
during an earthquake. The scale is a base-10 logarithmic scale. The magnitude is defined as

STEM Specialist Connection:
Enduring Understanding:
Essential Questions:
Student Outcomes:
Product, Process, Action, Performance,
etc.:
Logarithms Functions
Background Information
the logarithm of the ratio of the amplitude of waves measured by a seismograph to an
arbitrary small amplitude. An earthquake that measures 5.0 on the Richter scale has a
shaking amplitude 10 times larger than one that measures 4.0, and corresponds to a 31.6
times larger release of energy.
The STEM Specialist can:
 Help students decipher patterns between logarithmic expressions.
 Engage students in hands-on learning experiences on the application of logarithms in the
workplace.
STEM Specialists can be found at www.theSTEMnet.com
 Logarithms allow us to solve for exponential equations in which the variable is in the
exponent.
 Logarithmic functions can be used to model seismic activity, sound intensity,
magnitude of earthquakes, compute compound interest in terms of time, calculate
population growth, radioactive decay, etc.
 Logarithms were developed to multiply large numbers without the use of a calculator.
1. How can logarithms be used to solve exponential functions in which the variable is
found in the exponent?
2. How do STEM professionals apply logarithmic functions to develop solutions to
problems?
Students will be able to:
1. Convert exponential functions to logarithmic functions and vice versa.
2. Solve base 10 logarithms.
3. Apply the properties of logarithms to simplify and expand different logarithmic
functions.
4. Interpret and solve real world situations in which logarithms would be necessary to
solve the problem.
Students will work independently to derive the properties of logarithmic Audience:
functions and apply them to real-world problems. ☒Peers
☒Experts /
Practitioners
☒Teacher(s)
☐School
Community
 Logarithms Functions
Background Information
☐Other______
Domain: Modeling with Functions
Cluster: Construct and compare linear, quadratic, and exponential models and solve
problems
Standard: F.LE.A.4 For exponential models, express as a logarithm the
solution to abct=d where a, c, and d are numbers and the base b is 2, 10, or e;
Standards Addressed in the Unit:
evaluate the logarithm using technology. 

Cluster: Build a function that models a relationship between two quantities.

Standard: F.BF.A.1: Write a function that describes a relationship between
two quantities.
Equipment:
 computer with internet access
 projector
 Scientific or Graphing calculator
 Computers for each student (optional)
 Earphones (optional)
Website*
http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/virtualexhibit/

* Students are linked to an online site for the engagement activity. The site has been chosen for its content and
grade-level appropriateness. Teachers should preview website before introducing the activities to students and
adhere to their school system’s policy for internet use.
Suggested Materials and Resources:
People, Facilities:
 STEM Specialist
 Computer lab (optional)
Materials (rubrics, worksheets, PowerPoints, answer keys, etc.):
 Logarithms PowerPoint
 Discovering Properties of Logarithms
 Homework
 Homework (Answers)
 Calculator
 Computer (with internet access)
 Projector
Logarithms Functions
 Logarithms Functions

Learning Experience
5E Component
Identify the 5E
component
Standards for Mathematical
addressed for the Details
Practice
learning
experience. The 5E
model is not linear.
Materials:
☒Engagement ☐Make sense of problems
 Computer with internet access and persevere in solving
☐Exploration  Projector them.
 Logarithms PowerPoint
☐Explanation  Individual Computers for students (optional) ☐Reason abstractly and
 Earphones (optional) quantitatively.
☐Extension
Preparation: ☐Construct viable arguments
☐Evaluation  Explore http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/virtualexhibit/ on your own. and critique the reasoning
Understand how the website works and make a decision whether you want of others.
your students to explore the site individually or as a class.
 Familiarize yourself with decibels and sound intensity. Be able to explain ☐Model with mathematics.
the different scales to your students.
 Use PowerPoint slides 1-4 as a guide through the engagement portion of ☒Use appropriate tools
the lesson. strategically.

Facilitation of Learning Experience: ☐Attend to precision.

 Begin your lesson with the Dangerous Decibels Activity ☐Look for and make use of
(http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/virtualexhibit/). Have students— structure.
individually or as a class—explore the website. You can choose to do as
many (or as little) activities as your class time allows. Be sure not to leave ☐Look for and express
out the “measuring sound” section as that is the piece that explains the regularity in repeated
decibel scale. Students should be carefully monitored during this activity reasoning.
since the sounds can be pretty loud.
 If you choose to allow the students to explore the website on their own,
you will need to monitor their use of time in each section.
 As a class, discuss the results from each section of the Dangerous
 Logarithms Functions
Learning Experience
5E Component
Identify the 5E
component
Standards for Mathematical
addressed for the Details
Practice
learning
experience. The 5E
model is not linear.
Decibels activity. If you are completing the entire activity as a class this
should be done throughout. If the students are doing this activity
individually, you will need to discuss each element of their exploration.
Compare and contrast how each student did with the activity.
 Continue your discussion on decibel levels by showing the next 3 graphics
on the PowerPoint—infographic (bubbles), lesser water boatman graph of
noise levels, and the frequencies heard by different animals.

Materials:
☐Engagement ☐Make sense of problems
 Computer and persevere in solving
☐Exploration  Projector them.
 Logarithms PowerPoint
☒Explanation ☐Reason abstractly and
Preparation: quantitatively.
☐Extension Use PowerPoint slides 5-11 as a guide through the explanation section.
☐Construct viable arguments
☐Evaluation Facilitation of Learning Experience: and critique the reasoning
 Discuss the origin of logarithms—where they come from, what they were of others.
(still are) used for, etc.
 Be sure to indicate how you switch from logarithmic to exponential form ☐Model with mathematics.
and vice versa. The equation for this process is found at the bottom of
slide 8. Continue this discussion by working through a few examples with ☐Use appropriate tools
your students (found on the next two slides). strategically.
 Next, discuss the common bases used in everyday life (Base 10, 2, and e)
 Ask the students when they have used logarithms (such as in chemistry ☐Attend to precision.
class) and why logarithms were used.
☒Look for and make use of
structure.
 Logarithms Functions
Learning Experience
5E Component
Identify the 5E
component
Standards for Mathematical
addressed for the Details
Practice
learning
experience. The 5E
model is not linear.
☒ Look for and express
regularity in repeated
reasoning.
Materials:
☐Engagement ☒Make sense of problems
 Discovering Properties of Logarithms worksheet and persevere in solving
☒Exploration  Pencil/Pen them.
 Calculator
☐Explanation  Computer ☒Reason abstractly and
 Projector quantitatively.
☐Extension  Logarithms PowerPoint
☒Construct viable arguments
☐Evaluation Preparation: and critique the reasoning
 Use PowerPoint slides 12-17 as a guide through the exploration section. of others.
 Complete the Discovering Properties of Logarithms worksheet in advance
to familiarize yourself with the patterns the students should discover. ☐Model with mathematics.

☒Use appropriate tools

Facilitation of Learning Experience:
strategically.
 Provide each student with a copy of discovering properties of logarithms
worksheet. Allow students to work in partners to complete the assignment. ☒Attend to precision.
Students should notice the patterns that develop in the first column
between addition and multiplication. They should also notice the pattern ☒Look for and make use of
between subtraction and division in the second column. Finally, they structure.
should notice that exponents are directly related to multiplying by a
coefficient of the same numerical value. ☐ Look for and express
 Discuss as a class the discoveries that were made among the pairs in the regularity in repeated
class. reasoning.
 Continue that discussion with slides 12 - 15 of the PowerPoint. The
properties the students should have discovered are present here. There
 Logarithms Functions
Learning Experience
5E Component
Identify the 5E
component
Standards for Mathematical
addressed for the Details
Practice
learning
experience. The 5E
model is not linear.
are a few other properties that should be noted in the student’s notes that
were not discovered with the activity. Be sure they are included in their
notes as shown on slide 15.
 Use these properties to work through the next two examples as a class.
These examples are worked through on slides 16 & 17.

Materials:
☐Engagement ☒Make sense of problems
 Logarithms PowerPoint and persevere in solving
☐Exploration  Computer them.
 Projector
☐Explanation ☒Reason abstractly and
Preparation: quantitatively.
☒Extension Use slides 18 – 23 as a guide through the extension section of the lesson.
☒Construct viable arguments
☐Evaluation Facilitation of Learning Experience: and critique the reasoning
 As a class, work through the next two examples (slides 19-23) together. of others.
The first example revisits the idea of decibels and asks the students to
determine just how much louder one decibel level is than another in terms ☐Model with mathematics.
of relative intensity.
 Review the earthquake graph with your students. Point out different ☒Use appropriate tools
magnitude levels and show them the comparable energy equivalent. Many strategically.
will be surprised by the amount of energy emitted from an earthquake and
the comparable events. ☒Attend to precision.
 The earthquake example compares two different earthquakes magnitudes
and asks the students to solve just how much more energy one ☐Look for and make use of
earthquake had than the other. structure.

☒ Look for and express

regularity in repeated
 Logarithms Functions
Learning Experience
5E Component
Identify the 5E
component
Standards for Mathematical
addressed for the Details
Practice
learning
experience. The 5E
model is not linear.
reasoning.
Materials:
☐Engagement ☒Make sense of problems
 Logarithmic Functions Homework and persevere in solving
☐Exploration  Logarithmic Functions Answer Key them.
 Pencil/Pen
☐Explanation  Calculator ☒Reason abstractly and
quantitatively.
☐Extension Preparation:
Contact the STEM Specialist in advance to co-plan the learning experience ☐Construct viable arguments
☒Evaluation for students. STEM Specialist can be found at wwww.theSTEMnet.com. A and critique the reasoning
description of the ability level of the students, as well as some of the prior of others.
knowledge your students may have of logarithmic functions may be helpful
☒Model with mathematics.
to the STEM Specialist prior to the visit.
☒Use appropriate tools
Facilitation of Learning Experience: strategically.
 Have the STEM Specialist engage students in the predetermined learning ☒Attend to precision.
experience emphasizing how logarithmic functions are used in the
workplace. ☐Look for and make use of
structure.
 After the STEM Specialist has engaged students in the learning
experience, provide each student a copy of the homework assignment to ☒ Look for and express
work on independently after class. At the start of the next class, you can regularity in repeated
review answers or collect papers for grading. reasoning.
 Logarithms Functions
Supporting Information
Struggling Learners

Students should be provided with copies of notes or a note guide to follow along with the
PowerPoint. Additionally, students could work with the teacher or STEM specialist in the
discovery activity to better guide them to the patterns present. A list of the different
properties of logarithms can (should) be provide to struggling learners to help aide them
in solving difficult equations.

English Language Learners

Similarly to struggling learners accommodations should be provided. A vocabulary list

Interventions/Enrichments may be helpful to ELL students (logarithm, exponent, magnitude, decibel, etc.) Many
Identify interventions and enrichments for words in this lesson are comparable to European languages because of the origin of the
diverse learners. words therefore, vocabulary may be helpful but is not necessarily needed in all ELL
students.

Gifted and Talented

Expand student knowledge by providing more complex, challenging questions. Begin

with the basics that all students are learning. Give them more advanced questions as
practice problems if they should finish early. Match these students with some of the
struggling learners for the discovery lesson to aide those students as well as enhance
the understanding of your gifted and talented students. As an additional extension, have
the gifted and talented students research magnitudes of different earthquakes around
the world and write their own example problems (providing the answers and work along
with it).
Discovering Properties of Logarithms

Investigation Part One Investigation Part Two Investigation Part Three

Use your calculator to find the Use your calculator to find the Use your calculator to find the
following common logs: following common logs: following common logs:
 log 3+log 4  log 6−log 2  3log 2
 log 4 +log 5  log 20−log5  2log5
 log 5+log 6  log 12−log6  3log 4
 log 3+log 5  log 3−log 4  0.5 log16
 log 3+log 6  log 9−log 27  −2log3
 log 4+log 6  log 4  log 64
 log 20  log(0.75)  log 25
 log 15  log 2  log 4
log 24 log 3

log 18
 log ( 19 )

 log 12 
log ( 13 ) 
 log 8
 log 30
Write down any patterns or connections you recognize between your answers. What relationships can you identify?

Develop a general rule to write Develop a general rule to write Develop a general rule to write
log A +log B as a single logarithm, log A−log B as a single logarithm, nlog A as the logarithm of a single
for all positive values of A and B. for all positive values of A and B. constant, for all positive values of A
and all real values of n.

Test your general rule on several other values for A and B. Test your general rule on several other
values for A and n.
Discovering Properties of Logarithms
 Logarithmic Functions Homework
Write the following equations in logarithmic/exponential form

1. 53=125 1
3. 7776 5 =6

2. log 10 0.00001=−5
3
4. log 32 8=
5

Solve each equation.

3 11. log 2 ( x+ 4 )−log 2 ( x−3 )=3

5. log 4 x=
2

log 1 27=x
6. 3

7. log b 1024=5

8. log 7 ( x+ 6 )=log 7 ( 8 x +20 )

9. log 4 5+ log 4 x=log 4 60

10. log 2 q−log 2 3=log 2 7

12. log 5 10+ log5 12=3 log5 2+log 5 aAn equation for loudness, in decibels, is L=10 log10 R
, where R is the relative intensity of the sound. Sounds that reach levels of 120
decibels or more are painful to humans. What is the relative intensity of 120
decibels?

13. An earthquake rated at 3.5 on the Richter scale is felt by many people, and an
earthquake rated at 4.5 may cause local damage. The Richter scale magnitude
reading m is given by m=log 10 x , where x represents the amplitude of the seismic
wave causing ground motion. How many times greater is the amplitude of an
earthquake that measures 4.5 on the Richter scale than on the measures 3.5?

14.Rob is solving a problem involving logarithms. He does everything correctly

except for one thing. He mistakenly writes log 2 a+ log 2 b=log 2 (a+b). However,
after substituting the values for a and b in his problem, he amazingly still gets
the right answer! The value of a was 11. What must the value of b have been?
 Logarithmic Functions Homework
Write the following equations in logarithmic/exponential form

1. 53 = 125
1
3. 77765 = 6

2. 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 0.00001 = −5 3
4. 𝑙𝑜𝑔32 8 = 5

Solve each equation.

3
5. 𝑙𝑜𝑔4 𝑥 = 2 9. 𝑙𝑜𝑔4 5 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔4 𝑥 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔4 60

6. 𝑙𝑜𝑔1 27 = 𝑥 10. 𝑙𝑜𝑔2 𝑞 − 𝑙𝑜𝑔2 3 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔2 7

3

11. 𝑙𝑜𝑔2 ሺ𝑥 + 4ሻ− 𝑙𝑜𝑔2 ሺ𝑥 − 3ሻ= 3

7. 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑏 1024 = 5

12. 𝑙𝑜𝑔5 10 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔5 12 = 3𝑙𝑜𝑔5 2 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔5 𝑎

8. 𝑙𝑜𝑔7 ሺ𝑥 + 6ሻ= 𝑙𝑜𝑔7 ሺ8𝑥 + 20ሻ

13. An equation for loudness, in decibels, is 𝐿 = 10𝑙𝑜𝑔10 𝑅, where R is the relative intensity of the
sound. Sounds that reach levels of 120 decibels or more are painful to humans. What is the
relative intensity of 120 decibels?
14.An earthquake rated at 3.5 on the Richter scale is felt by many people, and an
earthquake rated at 4.5 may cause local damage. The Richter scale magnitude
reading m is given by m=log 10 x , where x represents the amplitude of the seismic
wave causing ground motion. How many times greater is the amplitude of an
earthquake that measures 4.5 on the Richter scale than on the measures 3.5?

15.Rob is solving a problem involving logarithms. He does everything correctly

except for one thing. He mistakenly writes log 2 a+ log 2 b=log 2 (a+b). However,
after substituting the values for a and b in his problem, he amazingly still gets
the right answer! The value of a was 11. What must the value of b have been?