Logarithm equations

Contents Objectives: to be able to,

1. The natural logarithm. • use the logarithm rules with the natural
logarithm - ln.
2. Rules of the natural logarithm.
• solve problems with e and unknown
3. Solving problems with ln and e. indices.

4. Growth and decay.

Prior knowledge: you should already know
5. Examination style questions. how to,

• use the laws of logarithms,

• use e for exponential growth and decay.

 The natural logarithm - ln
A logarithm can have any base.

log 4 16 This logarithm has a base of 4.

log16 Remember that if the log is not stated the base is 10.

ln16 ln is the natural logarithm. It has a special base – e.

Remember that e is irrational and is approximately 2.718.

ln16 lne 16 There is no need to write e as the base.

Use your calculator to find the value of each of the following to 2 decimal places.

1. ln10 1
2.30 3. ln   0.69
2

2. ln1 0 4. ln( 1) no solution

 Using ln
Find the value of each of the following. This rule is base on the log power rule.
All the rules for logarithms also apply for
1. lne2 2 natural logarithms.

lnx a alnx
2. lne5 5

lnx lny lnxy

1 1
3. lne 2 2
x
ln x  ln y ln 
y
4. lne x x

e x y  lny x
5. lne 1
 Using the rules for ln
Write each of the following a a single natural logarithm.

1. ln10 ln5 ln50

2. ln28  ln7 ln4

1
3. ln40  2ln   ln10
2

4. 3ln4  5ln2 ln2

5. 2ln6  2ln3  3ln2 ln32

 Graphical representation of ln and e.
f (x) e x f  1 (x) lnx

y  f (x) y x
As these are inverese of each other their
graphs are reflected in the line y x.

y  f  1 (x)
 Example questions 1

1. e x 25 2. e(4x 1) 40

Take logs of both sides to solve unknown

indices. e(4x 1) 40

But if we have e x then we take natural lne(4x 1) ln40

logarithms of both sides.
4x  1 ln40
lne x ln25
4x  1 3.6889
xlne ln25 The power rule
4x 4.6889
x ln25 lne=1
x 1.17

x 3.22
 Example questions 2

3. ln(2x  1) 5 4. 2lnx  5 0

ln(2x  1) 5 2lnx  5 0

Remember that the base of ln is e.

lnx 2 5

loge (2x  1) 5
loge x 2 5

Write as a logarithm.
x 2 e5
e5 2x  1
x 2 148.4
2x  1 148.4

2x 149.4 x 12.2

x 74.7
Growth and decay
A messy mathematics teacher leaves some coffee in his cup
during a 6 week school holiday. Bacteria grows in the coffee
exponentially and follows the general model, Pt Aekt , where
Pt is the amount of bacteria present t hours after the cup has
been left. A and k are constants.

a) There was 10 mg of bacteria initially in 10 Ae0k

the coffee cup. After 5 days a curious biology
10 A (initial value)
teacher discovered 30 mg of bacteria in the cup.
Find the values of A and k to 3 significant figures. 30 10e120k (5 days=24 5, t=120)
3 e120k
ln3 120k

k 0.00916

P1008 10e
0.009161008 
b) Hence find the amount of bacteria present
at the end of the 6 week school holiday.
P1008 101817 mg
 Questions
1. Given that f (x) e  x  3, x  3, find,
2. Solve 3e 4x 3 5.
a) f (4)
x 0.878
f (4) 3.02

See solution

b) f (x) 3.005
3. Solve 3lnx -10 0.
x 5.3
x 28.03

c) f  1 (x)
See solution
f  1 (x)  ln  x  3 

See solution
 Questions
4. Solve ln3x 1 2. 6. After a rare illness the population of a small
villiage is slowly dying out. The population t
x 0.906 days after the illness started is given by,
Pn Ae  kt .

See solution It is known that the initial population of the

village was 850 and that after 10 days the
population had fallen to 720.
5. Find the exact value of x in the equation,
ln(x  1) ln(x  2) 0. a) Find the values of A and k in the model.

A 850, k 0.0166
3 5
x b) Calculate the number of days it will take
2
for the population of the villiage to be half its
original amount.
See solution
t 42 days

See solution
 Worked answers
Given that f (x) e  x  3, x  3, find,
c) f  1 (x)
a) f (4)
y e  x  3
f (4) e  4  3
y  3 e  x
f (4) 3.02
 
lny  3  ln e  x
b) f (x) 10
lny  3   x
e  x  3 3.005

e  x 0.005  lny  3  x

 
ln e  x ln0.005 
f  1 (x)  ln  x  3 
 x  5.3

x 5.3 Return
 Worked answers

Solve 3e 4x 3 5

3e 4x 3 5

5
e 4x 3 
3

   5
ln e 4 x  3 ln 
 3

4x  3 0.510825

x 0.878

Return
 Worked answers

Solve 3lnx -10 0

3lnx -10 0

3lnx 10

10
lnx 
3

10
elnx e 3
10
x e 3

x 28.03

Return
 Worked answers
Solve ln3x 1 2

ln3x 1 2

ln3x 1

eln3x e1

3x 2.71828

x 0.906

Return
 Worked answers
Find the exact value of x in the equation, ln(x  2) ln(x  1) 0.

ln(x  2)ln(x  1) 0 3 9 4
x
2

ln  (x  2)(x  1) 0 3 5 Only the positive

x
2 value works.

ln x 2  3x  2  0
Return

ln x 2  3 x 2 
e e 0

x 2  3x 2 1

x 2  3x 1 0
 Worked answers
After a rare illness the population of a small villiage is slowly dying out. The population t days
after the illness started is given by, Pn Ae  kt .
It is known that the initial population of the village was 850 and that after 10 days the population
had fallen to 720.
a) Find the values of A and k in the model. 850 Ae0  A 850

850e  10k 720

e  10k 0.847
lne  10k ln0.847
 10k  0.166
k 0.0166
b) Calculate the number of days it will take 425 850e  0.1066t
for the population of the villiage to be half its
1
original amount. e  0.0166t 
2
1
 0.0166t ln
2
Return t 41.7  42nd day