LB 117 Sec 5.

3 – Logarithmic Functions part 2

BASIC GRAPHS

You should be able to draw the graphs of 𝑦 = 𝑎 𝑥 and 𝑦 = 𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑏 𝑥 and give the domain, range, and
asymptotes for each one. Test yourself to see if you remember!

RATE OF CHANGE FOR LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS

Describe the rates of change for a basic log function:

Describe the concavity of a basic log function:

VERTICAL ASYMPTOTES

Definition: The graph of a function has a vertical asymptote at x = a if

lim 𝑓(𝑥 ) = ∞ lim 𝑓 (𝑥 ) = −∞
or
𝑥→𝑎 𝑥→𝑎
(This is true if x  a from the left, right, or both sides.)

In previous packets, we talked about horizontal asymptotes and end behavior. Do you remember?

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LB 117 Sec 5.3 – Logarithmic Functions part 2

LIMITS for logs and exponentials

Reminder about fractions:

As the denominator of a fraction gets EXTREMELY LARGE, the fraction goes toward _______
As the denominator of a fraction gets CLOSE TO ZERO, the fraction goes toward ________

So when in limit world, we can kind of think of 0 and infinity as _________________ of each other.
We would NEVER say that in algebra world.

Find the following limits. Use the basic shape of a log or exponential graph to help you:

lim ln 𝑥 lim ln 𝑥
𝑥 → 0+ 𝑥→∞

lim 1 lim 1
𝑥 → 0+ ln 𝑥 𝑥 → ∞ ln 𝑥

lim 𝑒 𝑥 lim 𝑒 𝑥
𝑥 → +∞ 𝑥 → −∞

lim 1 lim 1
𝑥
𝑥 → +∞ 2−𝑒 𝑥 𝑥 → −∞ 2−𝑒

lim lim
2 − 𝑒𝑥 2 − 𝑒𝑥
𝑥 → +∞ 𝑥 → −∞

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LB 117 Sec 5.3 – Logarithmic Functions part 2

WileyPlus: Read, Study Practice, Sec 5.3.

More Applications of Logarithms to look over ON YOUR OWN:
If we look at the basic shape of a log graph, we can be reminded of a few things:
• Slow growth as x goes to infinity: The log of every number between 1 and 1 billion is between 0 and 9.
−9
• Fast negative growth between 0 and 1: Numbers packed between 10 and 1 have logs spread out
between −9 to 0.
This property of logs makes them useful in measuring quantities whose magnitudes vary widely over large
ranges (sound intensity and earthquakes) or over small ranges (chemical acidity). Here are a few examples:

Chemical Acidity
In chemistry, the acidity of a liquid is expressed using pH. The acidity depends on the hydrogen ion
concentration in the liquid (in moles per liter); this concentration, written [H+], varies in a small range between
0 and 1. The greater the hydrogen ion concentration, the more acidic the solution. The pH is defined as:
pH=−log[H+].

Example2
The hydrogen ion concentration of seawater is [H+]=1.1·10−8 moles per liter. Estimate the pH of seawater.
Then check your answer with a calculator.

Example3
A vinegar solution has a pH of 3. Determine the hydrogen ion concentration.

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LB 117 Sec 5.3 – Logarithmic Functions part 2

Order of Magnitude:
Example4
The intensity of a sound decreases with the distance from its source and is measured in watts per unit area. The
sound intensity of a refrigerator motor is 10−11 watts/cm2. A typical school cafeteria has sound intensity
of 10−8 watts/cm2. How many orders of magnitude more intense is the sound of the cafeteria?
Solution
To compare the two intensities, we compute their ratio:
Sound intensity of cafeteria/Sound intensity of refrigerator=10−8/10−11=10−8−(−11)=103.
Thus, the sound intensity of the cafeteria is 103=1000 times greater than the sound intensity of the
refrigerator. The log of this ratio is 3. We say that the sound intensity of the cafeteria is three orders of
magnitude greater than the sound intensity of the refrigerator.

Decibels
The intensity of audible sound varies over an enormous range. The range is so enormous that we consider the
logarithm of the sound intensity. This is the idea behind the decibel (abbreviated dB). To measure a sound in
decibels, the sound's intensity, I, is compared to the intensity of a standard benchmark sound, I0. The intensity
of I0 is defined to be 10−16 watts/cm2, roughly the lowest intensity audible to humans. The comparison between
a sound intensity I and the benchmark sound intensity I0 is made as follows:

Noise level in decibels=10·log (I/I0).

For instance, let's find the decibel rating of the refrigerator in Example 4. First, we find how many orders of
magnitude more intense the refrigerator sound is than the benchmark sound:
I/I0=Sound intensity of refrigerator/Benchmark sound intensity=10−11/10−16=105.
Thus, the refrigerator's intensity is 5 orders of magnitude more than I0, the benchmark intensity. We have
Decibel rating of refrigerator=10·Number of orders of magnitude⏟5=50 dB.
Note that 5, the number of orders of magnitude, is the log of the ratio I/I0. We use the log function because it
“counts” the number of powers of 10. Thus if N is the decibel rating, then N=10 log (I/I0).

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