# Lesson 31: Logarithms

Topic(s):

The lesson begins with an application problem to motivate the necessity and use of a logarithm. The formal definition linking logs and exponents is then introduced. Exercises in writing exponential equations as logarithms follows before a calculator based method for approximating logarithmic values is discussed. The common log, i.e. logs of base $10$, is introduced and a procedure for solving common log equations with a calculator is presented, along with various caveats about proper syntax for the calculator. The lesson concludes with exponential modeling problems where logs may be employed to find the desired exponent.

Identifier:
http://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Coll_Group_SanDiegoCommunityCollegesDevelopmentalMathExchange/Lesson31Logarithms?bc=;Coll_Group_SanDiegoCommunityCollegesDevelopmentalMathExchange.IntermediateAlgebra;Coll_Group_SanDiegoCommunityCollegesDevelopmentalM
Rating:
Creator(s):
Bruce Yoshiwara (Pierce College) and Kathy Yoshiwara (Pierce College)
Cataloger:
Bohdan Rhodehamel
Publisher:
Developmental Mathematics Collection
Rights:
CC BY-NC-SA