0
In days before electronic calculators, logarithms were used for carrying out multiplications and divisions. In those days, this was particularly important because all navigation tables, and astronomical data that they were based on, required a lot of complicated calculations.
Nowadays, those functions are easily carried out by computers. However, there are still uses in calculus, statistics, economics. If one variable is related (or correlated) with another according to some power rule, then their logarithms will have a linear relationship. And linear relationship are much easier to estimate and work with. This is particularly relevant in classical physics where the inverse square law is so wide spread. Also in biochemistry where the volume to surface-area of cells is related to the 3/2 power.
A simplistic example from economics: if percentage increase in total productivity is related to the percentage increase in capital, then the relationship between log(productivity) and log(capital) is linear.
Still curious? Ask our experts.
Chat with our AI personalities
Beau
Fran
BlakeAdd your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What are the misconception in logarithm topic in mathematics?
The main misconception is that logarithms are hard to understand.The main misconception is that logarithms are hard to understand.The main misconception is that logarithms are hard to understand.The main misconception is that logarithms are hard to understand.
Are logarithms and anti logarithms same?
No, they are opposites, just like multiplication and division are opposites.
When were logarithms developed?
Michael Stifel published his discovery of logarithms in 1544. John Napier publicly propounded the method of logarithms in 1614. For more details see related link.
When does Exponents used to solve a math problem?
common logarithms, natural logarithms, monatary calculations, etc.
What are some uses of logarithms?
Many things in nature tend to grow in an exponential fashion, meaning their growth is relative to their size at the moment. Bank investments, bacterial colonies, and numerous examples in physics follow such models. In order to remove the exponents and get linear equations which are far more manageable, logarithms can be used.
