Algebra 2 Help
- Thread starter Slayerpon Tatsu
- Start date
J9794
But you can call me Jay Nine Seven Nine Four
Towns Folk
Logs are the inverse function of an exponential function. You understand the concept of an exponential function? This is going the other way.
A practic example, in informatics, a Kilo is 2^10, a Mega is 2^20, a Giga is 2^30 and so on...
Let's say I give you just seemingly random number, like 1048576 and I tell you it's 2 powered to a number that represents one of the measurement units above... How do you find out what measurement unit it represents? Of course you could try the ones you know one by one, but also, you could use an equation like:
2^x = 1048576
Now, how the hell do we solve this? The answer is: Logs! You have all the values EXCEPT the exponential, so using logs, which are the inverse of exponentials, seems like the way to go.
In fact, you can do (log 1048576) / (log 2) and that will give you the answer, 20. So 1048576 is a Mega.
How did we get to that division? First, we apply log on both sides (this is totally legit)
log 2^x = log 1048576
Now, we use one of the properties of logs (log x^y = y * log x)
x log 2 = log 1048576
x = log 1048576 / log 2
x = 20
Yay!
Check out this video, it's pretty cool and it claims that we think in a logarithmic way instead of a linear one
A practic example, in informatics, a Kilo is 2^10, a Mega is 2^20, a Giga is 2^30 and so on...
Let's say I give you just seemingly random number, like 1048576 and I tell you it's 2 powered to a number that represents one of the measurement units above... How do you find out what measurement unit it represents? Of course you could try the ones you know one by one, but also, you could use an equation like:
2^x = 1048576
Now, how the hell do we solve this? The answer is: Logs! You have all the values EXCEPT the exponential, so using logs, which are the inverse of exponentials, seems like the way to go.
In fact, you can do (log 1048576) / (log 2) and that will give you the answer, 20. So 1048576 is a Mega.
How did we get to that division? First, we apply log on both sides (this is totally legit)
log 2^x = log 1048576
Now, we use one of the properties of logs (log x^y = y * log x)
x log 2 = log 1048576
x = log 1048576 / log 2
x = 20
Yay!
Check out this video, it's pretty cool and it claims that we think in a logarithmic way instead of a linear one
Slayerpon Tatsu
The Nopon King of EXP and Hater of Ignorance
Banned User
Thanks. I already knew what and how to use logs. There are just certain types I don't understandLogs are the inverse function of an exponential function. You understand the concept of an exponential function? This is going the other way.
A practic example, in informatics, a Kilo is 2^10, a Mega is 2^20, a Giga is 2^30 and so on...
Let's say I give you just seemingly random number, like 1048576 and I tell you it's 2 powered to a number that represents one of the measurement units above... How do you find out what measurement unit it represents? Of course you could try the ones you know one by one, but also, you could use an equation like:
2^x = 1048576
Now, how the hell do we solve this? The answer is: Logs! You have all the values EXCEPT the exponential, so using logs, which are the inverse of exponentials, seems like the way to go.
In fact, you can do (log 1048576) / (log 2) and that will give you the answer, 20. So 1048576 is a Mega.
How did we get to that division? First, we apply log on both sides (this is totally legit)
log 2^x = log 1048576
Now, we use one of the properties of logs (log x^y = y * log x)
x log 2 = log 1048576
x = log 1048576 / log 2
x = 20
Yay!
Check out this video, it's pretty cool and it claims that we think in a logarithmic way instead of a linear one
