Jaco Viljoen said:
Homework Statement
If log3(x-3)-log1/3(x+1) is expressed in terms of a logarithm with base 9, then it is equal to?
Homework Equations
logba=logca/logcb
The Attempt at a Solution
I know I need to get rid of the 1/2 by multiplying but can't remember how to apply it.
log3(x-3)-log1/3
⇒ log9(x-3) / log93 - log9(x+1) / log91 / 3
⇒ log9(x-3) / 1/2 - log9(x+1) / -1/2
The ⇒ means "implies", which isn't appropriate here. What you should have above is =. The expression on the first line is equal to the one on the second line, which in turn is equal to the one on the third line.
The formula you show as your relevant equation I don't keep in memory. Instead I derive it when I need it, which takes a little longer, but so be it.
Here's an example of how I would rewrite ##log_2(x + 5)## as a logarithm in base 4.
Let ##y = log_2(x + 5)##
Then ##x + 5 = 2^y## See comment 1 below.
Taking the log (base 4) of both sides, I get
##log_4(x + 5) = log_4(2^y)##
Or, ##log_4(x + 5) = y * log_4(2)##, using one of the properties of logs
Solving for y, I get
##y = \frac{log_4(x + 5)}{log_4(2)} = \frac{log_4(x + 5)}{1/2} = 2 * log_4(x + 5)## See comment 2 below
Then ##log_2(x + 5) = 2 * log_4(x + 5)##
1. I used the most important concept in logarithms; that a logarithm is an exponent on whatever the base happens to be. For example, ##log_2(x + 5)##
means the exponent on 2 (the base) the results in x + 5.
2. In this step I replaced ##log_4(2)## with 1/2. ##log_4(2)##
means the exponent on 4 that results in 2. In other words, ##4^? = 2##. The exponent has to be 1/2, since ##4^{1/2} = 2##.
Jaco Viljoen said:
Can someone tell me how to display fractions correctly?