ILBC

International Language & Business Centre

Mathematics

4
Primary Six
Issued by Maths Department

18
2 0
Logarithm
3
Unit
59 111
3
1 7
08
4
11.1 Exponential Relation Between N and b
If N > 0, b > 0 and b  1, then N = bx is the exponential relation
between N and b.
N is called the Number , b the base and x the exponent.

Examples
(1) 27 = 33 (2) 8 = 23 (3) 125 = 53
(4) 81 = 34 (5) 100 = 102 (6) 1 = b0

Logarithm
Logarithm means exponent.

Example
81 = 34
Logarithm of 81 is 4.
25 = 52
Logarithm of 25 is 2.

Note: Different exponents are found to have different bases.

Examples
(1) 81 = 34
Logarithm of 81 to the base 3 is 4.
Symbolically log3 81 = 4.

Unit 11 137
Logarithm
 ILBC

International Language & Business Centre Mathematics

Primary Six
Issued by Maths Department

(2) 729 = 36
Logarithm of 729 to the base 3 is 6.
Symbolically, Log3 729 = 6

Definition
In an exponential relation N = bx, where N>0 , b>0, b  1 , logarithm
of N to the base b is x.
Symbolically, LogbN = x  N = bx

Exponent Form Logarithmic Form

N = bx LogbN = x

Exercise 11.1

Change the following to logarithmic forms.

(1) a = bn (2) a + b = cn

(3) ax = c (4) a + bn = c

(5) (a + b)n = c (6) an + b = c

(7) 32 = 9 (8) 81 = 34

(9) 32 = 25 (10) 28 = 256

(11) a = ym+1 (12) xq+1 = p

(13) 2x+3 = 32 (14) 4x = y

Unit 11
138 Logarithm
 ILBC

International Language & Business Centre

Mathematics
Primary Six
Issued by Maths Department

(15) 1000 = 103 (16) (a+b)X = b + c

an a
(17) x = (18) x =
b bn
a
(19) xn = (20) c = abn
b
(21) c = (ab)n (22) c = an b

(23) cx = a + b (24) c = a+bx

Exercise 11.2
Change the following to exponent form.

(1) loga x = 3 (2) log2 8 = 3

(3) log10 10 = 1 (4) loga x = p

(5) loga y = 0 (6) log3 729 = 6

(7) logx (a + b) = 1 (8) logb a = c

logb a a
(9) = x (10) logb ( ) = x
c c
(11) logb (x + c) = 1 (12) logc (x + c) = 1
a
(13) logc ( ) = 1 (14) log2 16 = 4
b
(15) 4 = log3 81 (16) 6 = log2 64

(17) 3 = log5 125 (18) 4 = log5 625

(19) 3 = log6 216 (20) log10 1000 = 3

(21) log7 343 = 3 (22) logx9 = 3

Unit 11 139
Logarithm
 ILBC

International Language & Business Centre Mathematics

Primary Six
Issued by Maths Department

Exercise 11.3

Solve the following equations.

(1) log48 = x (2) log27 81 = y

(3) log2791.2 = x (4) log36216 = x

(5) log4815 = x (6) log1000.0001 = x

(7) log3(x+1) = 2 (8) log10 (x-1) = 0

(9) log½ (y+½) = 2 (10) logx 32 = 5

(11) logx 16 = 2 (12) logx 81 = 4

(13) log5 (x + 5) = 2 (14) log10 (x + 10) = 0

(15) log2 x + 3 = 0 (16) logx (a + b) = 1

(17) log3 x - 1 = 0 (18) log10x = 0

(19) log5 ( 1 - x) - 2 = 0 (20) log10 (1 + x) = 0

x
(21) log3 ( ) = 2 (22) log10 (x-1) = 2
3
(23) log10 (x-1) = 0 (24) logx (2x -1) = 0

(25) log10 (x - 1) = 1 (26) log10 (3x + 271) = 3

(27) log3 (x5 - 5) = 3 (28) log3 (2y + 49) = 4

Unit 11
140 Logarithm