Section 1.

Indices, Logarithms and Exponents

Key Formulae:

am x an = a m + n

am a n = a m n

(am)n = amn

a0 = 1
1
-n
a = an

am/n = n(am) = (n a)m

b = ax x = logab

logaa = 1 and loga1 = 0

logaxy = loga x + loga y

x
logay = loga x loga y

loga bn = n loga b

1
logb a = log b
a

(logc a)
logb a = (logc b)

ax = exlna

Indices
This is a revision section and most students should already be familiar with
indices.

am x an = am + n

am an = am n

(am)n = amn
1
-n
a = an

a0 = 1

am/n = n(am) = (n a)m

Exercise:
1) Simplify, giving answers in index form.
(b) 11 x 3 x 11 x 2

72 x 63
(c)
7

(d) (5 ) x 5

54 x 25
(e)
23

24 x (32)3
(f)
33

59
(g) (32)3

37
x (52)3

32 x 76
(h) 33 x 73

(a) 5 x 3 x 5
2 3

(32)5
(i)
73

37
79

2) Simplify the expressions.

(a) 3pq x 2p
2 3

(d) (a ) x a

a9
(g) (a2)3

a7
x (a2)3

(b) 3xy x 5x y

a3b6
(c) ab2

2a2b3
(e)
ab

2a2b3
(f) 5a x
b

2 4

4xy3
(h)
2xy

xy
(i) 2z
z

3) Simplify the following expressions, giving answers with positive indices.

x
2
(a) 2x 2
(b) x3
(c) g 32g
g

Logarithms
The logarithm is, technically, the inverse of the index
For example: 102 = 100 is a statement in indices
log10 100 = 2 is the corresponding statement in logarithms
Some logarithms are easy to do in your head without the use of a calculator.
Examples: Evaluate the following logarithms.
(a)
(b)
(c)

log10 1000
log2 16
1
log3 9

Solutions:
(a) If: log10 1000 = x
(b) If: log2 16 = x

then 10x = 1000.

then 2x = 16.

103 = 1000 therefore x = 3

24 = 16 therefore x = 4

(c) If: log3 1

9

1
then 3x =
9

1
3-2 = therefore x = -2
9

=x

Calculator Note
loga b. In this case a is known as the base of the logarithm.
The most commonly used bases are 10 and the irrational number e (which we
shall see later)
The button labeled log on your calculator will give logarithms in base 10.
The button labeled ln on your calculator will give logarithms in base e.

Laws of logarithms

x
logay = loga x loga y

logaa = 1 and loga1 = 0

1
logb a = log b
a

logaxy = loga x + loga y

loga bn = n loga b

(logc a)
logb a = (logc b)

The laws of logarithms are used to solve equations which involve both
logarithms and indices.
Change of Base
As seen in section 1.1 we sometimes need to solve equations such as 3 x = 15
To do this question we need to the change of base rule
3 x = 15
log10 3 x = log10 15
Because log on your calculator is
the same as log10

log 3 x = log 15

Note: Instead of using log10 we use x log 3 = log 15

log 15
ln or any other log with any base
x = log 3
x 2.465
Example: Solve

2x =
log 2 x = log
2 x log = log
log
2 x = log
2 x -0.606
4

x 2.606
Example: The number of bacteria, N, t hours after the injection is given by the
formula
N = 4.7 t +1
(a) What is the number of bacteria after 5 hours.
(b) After how many hours will the bacteria exceed 5000?
Solutions:

N = 4.7 t +1
N = 4.7 6
N 10779

(a) After 5 hours

(b) To find the time when the number of bacteria exceeds 5000, we will find
when the population equals 5000.
4.7 t +1
=
t +1
ln 4.7
=
t + 1 ln 4.7 =

5000
ln 5000
ln 5000

t+1

ln 5000
ln 4.7

t +1
t

5.5
4.5

Example: Binary numbers are used in computer memory chips. A binary

number of length n digits can store 2n different numbers.
(a) How many different numbers can be stored by a binary number of
length 6 digits?
(b) How many digits would be needed to store 4096 different numbers?
(c) What is the least number of binary digits necessary to store 1 million
different numbers.
Solutions:
(a) Lets call the number of digits stored, N.
N = 2n
N = 26
5

N = 64

(b)

(c)

2n
log 2n
n log 2

=
=
=

4096
log 4096
log 4096
log 4096
log 2
12

Lets find out how many digits are needed to store 1000000

to exceed 1000000 then

2n
log 2n
n log 2

=
=
=

n
n

1000000
log 1000000
log 1000000
log 1000000
log 2
19.93
20

Example: In a geometric sequence the first term is 2 and the common ratio 3.
Find the least value of n for which the nth term of the sequence is greater than
108.
u1 = 2
r=3
un > 108

using the formula

For un > 108

6

un
=
8
10
=
7
5 x 10
=
7
log 5 x 10 =

u1 r n 1
2 (3 n 1)
3n1
(n 1)log 3

log 5 x 107
=
log 3

n-1

16.14
17.14
n
=

n1
n
18

Exercise
1) Find the exact values for the following logarithms.
(a) log525

(b) log716807

(c) log3729

(d) log50.04

(e) log100.1

1
(f) log9 9

(g) log390 log310

(h) log480 log45

(i) log416 + log4128

2) Find the values for the following logarithms correct to 3 significant

figures.
(a) log104.7

(b) ln 67.3

(c) log100.472

(d) log103.5 + log1067.2 (e) ln45.87 + ln72.6

(g) ln23.67 ln0.045

(h) log1067.23
log100.045

(f) log104 log102.6

(i) 2.ln76 3.ln5.84

3) Simplify the following expressions, giving the answers as a single

logarithm.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

log335 + log312 log37

log725 + log77 log710 + log74
log517 + 3.log510 3.log55 + log545
log255 + 3.log25 2.log225 + log260
2log911 + log94 2log95 - log945

4) Solve the following equations:

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

log10x = 3
log3x + log32 = log38
2log5x + log52 = log575
log5(x 4) + log5(x + 1) = log56
7

(e)

log7x + log73 = log7(x 1)

5) Solve the following equations correct to 3 significant figures.

(a) 3t = 17

(b) 6k = 4.7

(c) 5.2n = 34.8

(d) 7-x = 16

(e) 2(x + 1) = 0.34

1
(f) 5n

(g) 0.0045n = 12

(h) 7 x 4k = 95

(i) 2x = 5.6(x 1)

= 45.9

6) If Marcela joins a gym, she estimates that her fitness level (F), n weeks
after starting the program is given by: F = 2.3ln(n + 2) for 0 n 10.
(a)
(b)
(c)

Find Marcelas level of fitness at the start of the program.

Find her fitness five weeks into the program
Find how long it will take Marcela to become twice as fit as she
was at the start of the program.

7) In a process to manufacture plastic, there are two key compounds that are
produced in a reaction vessel. The amount of the compound depends on
the time, t, minutes, after the reaction vessel has been sealed.
Amount of compound A is :
Amount of compound B is :

A = 0.9 x 1.2t
B = 1.6 x 1.1t

Find correct to 2 significant figures, the time when there are equal
amounts of the two compounds.
8) A solution contains x bacteria at time t hours after noon, and x = 260(2t).
(a)
(b)

Find the number of bacteria in the solution at 3pm

Find the time to the nearest minute at which the number of
bacteria is 3000.

9) The population of a village was 3750 on 1st January 1990. The population
grew in such a way that after n years the population P was 3750(1.08)n.
(a) Show that by 1st January 1995 the population had grown by 50%
8

(b)

Find the year in which the population would exceed 7500.

How to do logarithms of negative numbers

Example:
3x =
729
This can be done using the change of base rule
log 3x =
x log 3 =

check the answer

log 729
log 729

= log 729
log 3

x
36

=
=

6
729 correct

Example:
(-3)x =
729
This can be done using the change of base rule
log (-3)x
x log (-3)
x

=
=

log 729
log 729

= log 729
log (-3)

log (-3) can not be done in the calculator

In this case, forget that the minus is there and do the sum
x
check the answer

= log 729
log 3

x
=
6
(-3) =

6
729 correct

Note:
Questions such as
(-6)x =
46656
x must be an even number, because any negative number given to the
power of an even number always produces a positive value.
Questions such as

(-6)x =

-7776
9

x must be an odd number, because any negative number given to the

power of an odd number always produces a negative value.
A special base e
What is e?
e is an irrational number known as Eulers number.
e = 2.71828
When using logarithms

logex we write lnx

Try not to worry where Eulers number comes from, although this information
can be found in most mathematics books.
Example: Evaluate (to 4 decimal places) the following
(a) e3
(b) e + 1
(c) e2x = 16

(d) loge (x 1) = 2

Solutions
(a) Using a calculator we can easily work out e3 = 20.0856
(b)

(c)

(d)

e + 1 is the same as e + 1 and using a calculator we

get e + 1 = 2.6487
e2x
ln e2x
2x ln e
2x
x
x

=
=
=
=
=
=

loge (x 1)
ln (x 1)
x1
x
x

16
ln 16
ln 16
ln 16
ln 16
1.3863
=
=
=
=
=

10

2
2
e2
e2 + 1
8.3891

(ln both sides)

(ln e = 1)

Harder examples
1. Find the exact values of x which satisfy the equation e2x 3ex + 2 = 0
Solution: Using one of the laws of indices we know e2x = (ex)2, we can
recognise that the equation is a hidden quadratic.
Let u = ex
e2x 3ex + 2
u2 3u + 2
(u 2)(u 1)

=0
=0
=0

therefore: u = 2

or

u=1

therefore: ex = 2

or

ex = 1

or

x=0

x = ln2

2. The price in $, P, of a car t years after it was first purchased can be found
with the formula:
P = 15000e-0.2t
(a)
(b)
(c)

How much was the car worth at the start?

What was the value of the car after 5 years?
How many years must past before the car is worth less than $2000?

Solution:
(a) At the start t = 0. Substituting into the equation we get

(b)

P = 15000e0
P = $15000
After five years t = 5. Substituting into the equation we get
P = 15000e-1
11

P = $5518.19

(c)

Making the price = $2000 and then solving the equation to find t.
15000e-0.2t =

ln both sides

2000

e-0.2t

lne-0.2t

-0.2t lne

-0.2t

2000
15000
2000
ln15000
2000
ln 15000
2000
ln15000

-0.2t

-2.015
10.075

Remember that lne = 1

The car will be worth $2000 after 10.075 years. This means it will be
worth less than $2000 after 11 complete years.

12

Exercise
1. Solve the following equations
(a) ex = 20
(b)
(d) e2x 4 = 16

(e)

e3x = 50

(c)

e-y = 100

eu + 5 =30

(f)

-3 + e-z = 2

2. Solve the following equations

(a) e2x 4ex 5 = 0

(b)

e2x 3ex + 2 = 0

(c) e2x 5ex + 6 = 0

(d)

e2x 9ex - 10 = 0

3. Solve the following equations

(a) lnx = 4
(b) 2ln(x + 1)
(d) 1 + 2ln(x 1) = 2

(e) loge(x 2)

(c) 2lnx = 10
(f) lnx2 = 10

4. The resale value, $V, of a structure, is modelled by the exponential

function
V = 2000000e-0.023t
Where t is the number of years since the structure was built.
(a)
(b)
(c)

How much was the structure worth at the start?

What was the value of the structure after 15 years?
How many years must past before the structure is worth half its
original value?

5. The number of inhabitants, N, in a city at time t years since the 1st

January 1970, is modelled by the exponential function
N = 140000ekt
On the 1st January 1980, the number of inhabitants was 190000
(a) Find the value of k (4 decimal places)
(b) How many people will be living in the city
I. 1st January 1990
13

II. 1st April 2000

(c) How many years must past before the population is 1000000?
Self Assessment Test ( 30 minutes)
1. Simplify:
5kv6
(a) 25k2

6p2q
(b) 22q3

15 y3x
(c)
xy

2. Evaluate, giving the answer correct to 4 significant figures

(a)

4.52/3
6

(b)

5.74 3.12
3.4 + 4.73

3. Evaluate the logarithms.

(a)

log333

(b) log2 (1/16)

4. Simplify the logarithmic expressions.

(a)
(b)

log3(xy2) log3y
ln(ab) + 2lna lnb2

5. Solve the following equation giving your answer to 3 significant places.

(a)
(b)
(c)

lnx + ln3 = ln4

log10x log10(x 5) = 2
7x = 37.2

6. A radio-active element decays as time passes. The amount of the element

present in a sample is given by the equation.
A = 5.67e-0.372t
Where A is the amount of the element in grams in the sample t years after
the measurements started.
(a) What was the value of the amount present after 3 years? (3 s.f.)
14

(b)
(c)

How many years must past before the sample is 2 grams (1 d.p.)
Find the half-life of the sample, (the time taken for the sample to
decay to one half of its original amount). (1 d.p.)

Answers to Self-test
1 a)

v6
5k

b)

2 a) 1.11
3 a)

3p2
2q 2

c)

b) 9.76

1
3

b) -4
a3
b) 3lna lnb or ln
b

4 a) log x + log y or log (xy)

5 a) x = 4

15 y 2

500
b) x =
99

6 a) A = 1.86 grams

c) x = 1.86
b) t = 2.8 years

c) t = 1.9 years

Answers to Self-test
1 a)

v6
5k

b)

2 a) 1.11
3 a)

3p2
2q 2

15 y 2
x

b) 9.76

1
3

b) -4

4 a) log x + log y or log (xy)

5 a) x = 4

c)

6 a) A = 1.86 grams

500
b) x =
99

a3
b) 3lna lnb or ln
b

c) x = 1.86
b) t = 2.8 years

15

c) t = 1.9 years