Why is my computer giving different answers for logarithmic laws?

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I'm using this computer program:
It tells me that:
log(x+1/3)=log(3x+1)
Why is that so? I plug in values: they give different answers...!
 
on Phys.org
alingy1 said:
I'm using this computer program:
It tells me that:
log(x+1/3)=log(3x+1)
Why is that so? I plug in values: they give different answers...!

[tex]\log(3x+1)=\log(3(x+1/3))=\log(3)+\log(x+1/3)[/tex]

Since [itex]\log(3)\neq 0[/itex] for any base of log, something more elusive must be happening.
 
The reason I am asking this is that I am trying to calculate the integral of 1/(3x+1).
I found it equals (1/3)(integral of (1/(x+1/3))=1/3ln((x+1/3)). But, the computer says it is wrong!
 
alingy1 said:
The reason I am asking this is that I am trying to calculate the integral of 1/(3x+1).
I found it equals (1/3)(integral of (1/(x+1/3))=1/3ln((x+1/3)). But, the computer says it is wrong!

[tex]\frac{d(\log{x})}{dx}=\frac{1}{x}[/tex]

only applies when the base of log is e (usually denoted ln(x)). In general,

[tex]\frac{d(\log_{a}{x})}{dx}=\frac{1}{x\ln{a}}[/tex] since [tex]\log_{a}{x}=\frac{\ln{x}}{\ln{a}}[/tex] hence [tex]\frac{d(\log_{a}{x})}{dx} = \frac{d(\frac{\ln{x}}{\ln{a}})}{dx}=\frac{1}{\ln{a}}\frac{d(\ln{x})}{dx}=\frac{1}{\ln{a}}\cdot\frac{1}{x}[/tex]

Maybe your computer is using a base other than e?
 

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