Week 5: Logarithms

Introduction

In Week 1 you learned about the rules for indices and in Week 2 you were introduced to logarithmic scales. This week uses ideas from both of these weeks, as you turn your attention to logarithms. These were invented in the seventeenth century by John Napier as a way to make calculations involving multiplication and division easier. Before electronic tools were cheaply and commonly available these were an invaluable aid, and this is still the case today. You have already seen how useful a logarithmic scale can be.

By the end of this week you will have:

• gained an understanding of logarithms and how they relate to powers
• gained an understanding of the three basic rules for tackling equations or expressions including logarithms
• simplified equations or expressions including logarithms
• learned about common and natural logarithms.