1. ## Logarithms?

Somehow this is on my chemistry homework, and we managed to skip logarithms in my algebra II class. I've looked up logarithms, and it seems to me like these problems are missing something, but you decide:

Find the value of log y if
a. Y = 1.6 x 10^-4
b. Y^2 = 1.6 x 10^-4
c. Y^(1/2) = 1.6 x 10^-4

Please excuse my lack of good math formatting here. I'm afraid I don't have time at the moment to figure out how the "math" tags work.

Anyway, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't logarithm problems require another number after the log n (n being any number/variable)?

This is really stumping me.

2. Originally Posted by seuzy13
Somehow this is on my chemistry homework, and we managed to skip logarithms in my algebra II class. I've looked up logarithms, and it seems to me like these problems are missing something, but you decide:

Find the value of log y if
a. Y = 1.6 x 10^-4
b. Y^2 = 1.6 x 10^-4
c. Y^(1/2) = 1.6 x 10^-4
$\log(a \cdot b) = \log(a) + \log(b)$

$\log(y) = \log(1.6 \times 10^{-4}) = \log(1.6) + \log(10^{-4}) = 0.2041 + (-4)$

note that I had to calculate the log of 1.6

$\log(a^b) = b\log(a)$

$\log(y^2) = 2\log(y)$

$\log(y^{\frac{1}{2}}) = \frac{1}{2}\log(y)$

3. I suppose the problem I have is with the log(1.6) and log(10^-4). How do you find the log of something?
Thanks, you helped clarify some things already, but I still don't know how to do this.

4. Originally Posted by seuzy13
I suppose the problem I have is with the log(1.6) and log(10^-4). How do you find the log of something?
Thanks, you helped clarify some things already, but I still don't know how to do this.
a log is an exponent

note that $10^x = y$ is the same as $\log(y) = x$

Logarithms

5. Okay, I didn't realize the ten was implied. (And furthermore, I just found the log button on my calculator!) Thanks a bunch. :-)