MathBench > Measurement

Logs and pH

The log is the power!

"Counting the zeros" is the same as saying "what power would I need to raise 10 to in order to get this measurement?" That's important, but hard to remember. The short version of "what power would I need..." is ...

log(a million) = 6, so 10^6 = a million. The log is the power! log

 

Likewise, if your chances of winning the lottery are 1-in-a-million ( = 0.000001), we could say that

log(0.000001) = -6, so 10^-6 = 0.000001. The log is the power! won the lottery!

 

You can use the applet below to practice finding the log of easy (non-messy) numbers. Keep at it until it becomes very easy!

 

log(0.001) =
perfect !
0
pretty close ...
0
not so close
0

 

 

log crushing bike