What Are Logarithms? When Do We Use Them?


Article Summary: Logarithms are mainly the inverse of the exponential function. Historically, Math scholars used logarithms to change division and multiplication problems into subtraction and addition problems, before the discovery of calculators.

You will learn logs and natural logs mainly to use with slides rules, since functions of logs help to solve these advanced equations very easily.

In general algebra, if you see an equation 4x = 16, then you need to do a bit of guesswork to solve for that unknown x. This is very easy, if you understand your exponents well enough, you may easily calculate that x = 2.

Unluckily, this guesswork is not a type of Math and is time consuming, if you have expressions and complex numbers to solve.

Logarithms are a Math function, which tackle this guesswork avoiding time consumption to solve such problems easily. Logarithms simplify the Math and help to write the relationships in an understandable Math function.

When Do We Use Logarithms?

You can use logarithms in many statistics, biology, physics, and chemistry concepts to solve different problems.

Logarithms are mainly the inverse of the exponential function. Historically, Math scholars used logarithms to change division and multiplication problems into subtraction and addition problems, before the discovery of calculators.

In recent times, Math scholars and students use logarithms to solve exponential equations and to solve numbers extending from very big to small expression in a more refined manner.

In general, we also use properties and applications of logarithms in various geological circumstances:

1. To estimate the data in logs obtained from magnitude scales for earthquakes.

2. Geologists also make use of logarithms to find the Gutenberg-Richter relation.

3. Next, they also use logs to calculate alterations in atmospheric CO2, population growth.

4. Finally, geologists prefer applications of logarithms in radioactive decay-dating estimation, sedimentology, and to determine grain sizes.