Logarithms and their use in the real world

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SUMMARY

Logarithms are essential mathematical tools that describe relationships where the rate of change depends on quantity, exemplified in biological processes like hearing and eyesight, as well as thermodynamic processes. They facilitate easier data regression by allowing the plotting of logarithmic quantities, which often results in linear relationships. Practical applications of logarithms can be found in various real-world scenarios, including nature, where they describe phenomena such as the logarithmic spiral. Resources for further exploration include articles on logarithms in nature and their applications.

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  • Understanding of basic logarithmic functions and properties
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Students studying mathematics, biology, and physics, as well as professionals in data analysis and scientific research who seek to understand the practical applications of logarithms in real-world scenarios.

Niaboc67
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Hello, I have been studying Logarithms in University. I understand it's how many of ONE number to get another number, and I see how it is rearranged to find these "missing" links. But maybe I am overlooking something, but I don't quite see the bigger picture here with how to use Logarithms. How can they be applied to something in real life? If someone could present a problem and then a solution to how logarithms could be used in real life that would be fantastic.

Thank You
 
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There are lots of situations where the rate of something depends on the quantity ... i.e. of form: ##\dot y(t) = ky(t)##

Biological processes like hearing and eyesight are based on logarithmic relations.
There are also thermodynamic processes that bear logarithmic relations.

It can also be a good tool - lots of situations where plotting the the log of some quantity against another gets a line - lines are usually easier to regress to, so it saves work.

If you google for "logarithms in nature" you get a lot of stuff:
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080529/full/news.2008.866.html
http://enjoyingmath.pbworks.com/w/page/31757192/NATURE and LOGARITHM
http://goldenratiomyth.weebly.com/the-logarithmic-spiral.html
 

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