Multiplication and Power Laws for Logarithms

Questions
1. Simplify each pair of expressions to show that they are equal.
The first one has been done for you.

a) log2 (4 × 2)= log2 (8) and 2

log2 (4) + log2 (2)= log2 (2 ) + log2 (2 )
1

3
= log2 (2 ) = 2 + 1

= 3 = 3

Therefore log 2
(4 × 2) = log2 (4) + log2 (2)

b) log5 (5 × 5) and log5 (5) + log5 (5)

c) log6 (6
25
×6
28
) and log6 (6
25
) + log6 (6
28
)

d) 8
logt (t ×t )
9
and 8
logt (t ) + logt (t )
9

e) logk (k
m
×k )
n
and logk (k
m
) + logk (k )
n

Multiplication law
The multiplication law can be used to expand or condense logarithms:

logk (ab) = logk (a) + logk (b)

For example,
Expanding: log (21) = log
Condensing: log (5) + log
4 4
(7) + log4 (3) , since 21 = 7 × 3
9 9
(2) = log9 (10) , since 5 × 2 = 10

2. Copy and complete the table below.

Condensed form Expanded form

log5 (gh)

log7 (5y)

log10 (2) + log10 (3)

logz (11) + logz (3)

log3 (10)

log55 (8) + log55 (7)

logy (26)

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 Multiplication and Power Laws for Logarithms

3. Several students made mistakes in how they manipulated logarithms.

a) Samara tried to condense the following expression b) Percy tried to expand the following logarithm into
into one logarithm: two parts:
log3 (9) + log9 (9)= log3 (9 × 9) × log3 (27)= log3 (3) × log3 (9) ×

What mistake has she made? What mistake has he made?

c) Emmanuel tried to condense the following d) Annelise tried to condense the following
expression into one logarithm: expression into one logarithm:
log2 (4) + log2 (4)= log2×2 (4 × 4) × log2 (8) + log2 (8)= log2 (8 + 8) ×

What mistake has he made? What mistake has she made?

4. Simplify the following expressions using the multiplication law for logarithms. The simplest form may still
contain a logarithm.

a) log 6
(3) + log6 (12) b) log 49
(7) + log49 (7)

c) log 11
(22) d) log x
2
7
(x) + logx2 (x )

5. Expand then simplify each of the following logarithms. Do this by rewriting the power as repeated
multiplication and using the multiplication law for logarithms.
The first one has been done for you.

a) log 7
2
(b )= log7 (b × b)

= log7 (b) + log7 (b)

= 2 log7 (b)

b) log 7
3
(b )

c) log 7
4
(b )

6. Expand and simplify each of the following logarithms.

Parts (d) and (e) have been started for you.

a) log 2
2
(a )

b) log 2
3
(a )

c) log 2
4
(a )

19

   
log2 (a
19
d)
) = log2 (a × a × . . . × a)

n

   
n
e)
log2 (a ) = log2 (a × a × . . . × a)

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 Multiplication and Power Laws for Logarithms

Power law
The power law can be used to expand or condense logarithms:

n
logk (a ) = n logk (a)

For example,
Expanding: log (8) = 3 log (2), since 8 =2
7 7
3

Condensing: 2 log (9) = log (81), since 9

31 31
2
= 81

7. Copy and complete the table below.

Condensed form Expanded form

2
log2 (5 )

log15 (8)

12 logp (x)

26
log7 (11 )

log13 (9)

n log7 (23)

3 log16 (3)

8. Two students made mistakes in how they manipulated logarithms.

a) Sabina tried to expand the following logarithm into b) Jorge tried to condense the following expression
two parts: into a single logarithm:
3 3
log2 (4 )= (log2 (4)) × 5 log9 (y)= log9 (5y) ×

What mistake has she made? What mistake has he made?

9. Use the multiplication and power laws to simplify each of the following expressions.

a) log 11
(8) − log11 (4) − log11 (2) b) log 12
(3) + 2 log12 (2)

48
log8 (29 )
c) log 2
(36) − 2 log2 (3) d) 2
log8 (29 )

e) 6 log 100
(10) + 3 log1,000 (10) f) log a
q
p
(a ) + logaq (a
q−p
)

9 20
log7 (x ) × log19 (x )
g) 4 3
h) 7 log 35
5
(7 ) + 5 log35 (5 )
7

log7 (x ) × log19 (x )

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 Multiplication and Power Laws for Logarithms

Answers
1. Simplify each pair of expressions to show that they are equal.
The first one has been done for you.

a) log2 (4 × 2)= log2 (8) and 2

log2 (4) + log2 (2)= log2 (2 ) + log2 (2 )
1

3
= log2 (2 ) = 2 + 1

= 3 = 3

Therefore log 2
(4 × 2) = log2 (4) + log2 (2)

b) log5 (5 × 5)= log5 (5 )

2
and log5 (5) + log5 (5)= 1 + 1

= 2 = 2

Therefore log 5
(5 × 5) = log5 (5) + log5 (5)

c) log6 (6
25
×6
28
)= log6 (6
53
) and log6 (6
25
) + log6 (6
28
)= 25 + 28

= 53 = 53

Therefore log 6
(6
25
×6
28
) = log6 (6
25
) + log6 (6
28
)

d) 8
logt (t
9
×t )= logt (t
17
) and 8 9
logt (t ) + logt (t )= 8 + 9

= 17 = 17

Therefore log t
(t
8 9 8
×t ) = logt (t ) + logt (t )
9

e) logk (k
m n
×k )= logk (k
m+n
) and logk (k
m n
) + logk (k )= m + n

= m + n

Therefore log k
(k
m n
×k ) = logk (k
m
) + logk (k )
n

2. Copy and complete the table below.

Condensed form Expanded form

log5 (gh) log5 (g) + log5 (h)

log7 (5y) log7 (5) + log7 (y)

log10 (6) log10 (2) + log10 (3)

logz (33) logz (11) + logz (3)

log3 (10) log3 (5) + log3 (2)

log55 (56) log55 (8) + log55 (7)

logy (26) logy (2) + logy (13)

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 Multiplication and Power Laws for Logarithms

3. Several students made mistakes in how they manipulated logarithms.

a) Samara tried to condense the following expression b) Percy tried to expand the following logarithm into
into one logarithm: two parts:
log3 (9) + log9 (9)= log3 (9 × 9) × log3 (27)= log3 (3) × log3 (9) ×

What mistake has she made? What mistake has he made?

She combined logarithms with different bases He multiplied the separate logarithms instead
as if they were both base 3. of adding them.
The multiplication law cannot be used to A correct way to expand the logarithm into two
combine logarithms of different bases. parts would be:
log3 (27) = log3 (3) + log3 (9)

c) Emmanuel tried to condense the following d) Annelise tried to condense the following
expression into one logarithm: expression into one logarithm:
log2 (4) + log2 (4)= log2×2 (4 × 4) × log2 (8) + log2 (8)= log2 (8 + 8) ×

What mistake has he made? What mistake has she made?

He multiplied the bases of the logarithms.
A correct way to condense the expression
would be:
log2 (4) + log2 (4) = log2 (4 × 4)
= log2 (16)
She added the bracketed terms instead of
multiplying them.
The correct way to condense the expression
would be:
log2 (8) + log2 (8) = log2 (8 × 8)

= log2 (64)

4. Simplify the following expressions using the multiplication law for logarithms. The simplest form may still
contain a logarithm.

a) log 6
(3) + log6 (12)= log6 (3 × 12) b) log 49
(7) + log49 (7)= log49 (7 × 7)

= log6 (36) = log49 (49)

2
= log6 (6 ) = 1

= 2

c) log11
(22)= log11 (11 × 2) d) log x
2
7
(x) + logx2 (x )= logx2 (x ×x )
7

= log11 (11) + log11 (2) 8

= logx2 (x )

= 1 + log11 (2) 2 4
= logx2 ((x ) )

= 4

5. Expand then simplify each of the following logarithms. Do this by rewriting the power as repeated
multiplication and using the multiplication law for logarithms.
The first one has been done for you.

a) log 7
2
(b )= log7 (b × b)

= log7 (b) + log7 (b)

= 2 log7 (b)

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 Multiplication and Power Laws for Logarithms

b) log 7
3
(b )= log7 (b × b × b)

= log7 (b) + log7 (b) + log7 (b)

= 3 log7 (b)

c) log 7
4
(b )= log7 (b × b × b × b)

= log7 (b) + log7 (b) + log7 (b) + log7 (b)

= 4 log7 (b)

6. Expand and simplify each of the following logarithms.

Parts (d) and (e) have been started for you.

a) 2
log2 (a )= log2 (a × a)

= log2 (a) + log2 (a)

= 2 log2 (a)

b) 3
log2 (a )= log2 (a × a × a)

= log2 (a) + log2 (a) + log2 (a)

= 3 log2 (a)

c) 4
log2 (a )= log2 (a × a × a × a)

= log2 (a) + log2 (a) + log2 (a) + log2 (a)

= 4 log2 (a)


 
d)  
19

19
log (a ) = log2 (a × a × . . . × a)
2

19

  

=log2 (a) + log2 (a)+. . . + log2 (a)

= 19 log2 (a)


  e)  
n

n
log2 (a ) = log2 (a × a × . . . × a)

n

  
=log2 (a) + log2 (a)+. . . + log2 (a)

= n log2 (a)

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 Multiplication and Power Laws for Logarithms

7. Copy and complete the table below.

Condensed form Expanded form

2
log2 (5 ) 2 log2 (5)

log15 (8) 3 log15 (2)

12
logp (x ) 12 logp (x)

26
log7 (11 ) 26 log7 (11)

log13 (9) 2 log13 (3)

n
log7 (23 ) n log7 (23)

log16 (27) 3 log16 (3)

8. Two students made mistakes in how they manipulated logarithms.

a) Sabina tried to expand the following logarithm into b) Jorge tried to condense the following expression
two parts: into a single logarithm:
3 3
log2 (4 )= (log2 (4)) × 5 log9 (y)= log9 (5y) ×

What mistake has she made? What mistake has he made?

She set the expression to the power of 3 He multiplied the bracketed term by 5 instead
instead of multiplying by 3. of setting it to the power of 5.

A correct way to expand the logarithm would The correct way to condense the expression
be: would be:
3 5
log2 (4 ) = 3 log2 (4) 5 log9 (y) = log9 (y )

9. Use the multiplication and power laws to simplify each of the following expressions.

a) Note: Your working out may look different, but your b) Note: Your working out may look
answer must be the same. different, but your answer must be the
3 2 same.
log11 (8) − log11 (4) − log11 (2)= log11 (2 ) − log11 (2 ) − log11 (2)
2
log12 (3) + 2 log12 (2)= log12 (3) + log12 (2 )
= 3 log11 (2) − 2 log11 (2) − log11 (2)

= log12 (3) + log12 (4)

= 0

= log12 (3 × 4)

= log12 (12)

= 1

c) Note: Your working out may look different, but d) Note: Your working out may look different, but
your answer must be the same. your answer must be the same.
48
log2 (36) − 2 log2 (3)= log2 (4 × 9) − 2 log2 (3) log8 (29 ) 48 log8 (29)
=
2
= log2 (4) + log2 (9) − 2 log2 (3) log8 (29 ) 2 log8 (29)

2 2
= log2 (2 ) + log2 (9) − log2 (3 ) 48
=
= 2 + log2 (9) − log2 (9) 2

= 24
= 2

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 Multiplication and Power Laws for Logarithms

e) Note: Your working out may look different, but your f) Note: Your working out may look
answer must be the same. different, but your answer must be
6 3 the same.
6 log100 (10) + 3 log1,000 (10)= log100 (10 ) + log1,000 (10 )
p q−p p q−p
logaq (a ) + logaq (a )= logaq (a ×a )
= log100 (1, 000, 000) + log1,000 (1, 000)
p+q−p
= logaq (a )
3
= log100 (100 ) + 1
q
= logaq (a )
= 3 + 1
= 1
= 4

g) Note: Your working out may look different, h) Note: Your working out may look different, but
but your answer must be the same. your answer must be the same.
9 20 5 7
log7 (x ) × log19 (x ) 9 log7 (x) × 20 log19 (x) 7 log35 (7 ) + 5 log35 (5 )= 7 × 5 log35 (7) + 5 × 7 log35 (5)
=
4 3
log7 (x ) × log19 (x ) 4 log7 (x) × 3 log19 (x) = 35 log35 (7) + 35 log35 (5)

9 × 20 = 35(log35 (7) + log35 (5))

=
4 × 3 = 35 log35 (7 × 5)

= 3 × 5
= 35 log35 (35)

= 15
= 35 × 1

= 35

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