Chemical Forums

Specialty Chemistry Forums => Other Sciences Question Forum => Topic started by: dmblove26 on February 23, 2014, 03:31:36 PM

Title: Did I do this right?
Post by: dmblove26 on February 23, 2014, 03:31:36 PM

find the log of 2.48 * 10 ^-8

I ended up with 0.000000004?

Does anyone have any clear instructions on how to find the log of a number using the calculator. What are the steps? I have to explain them to someone and I'm bad at explaining things.

Title: Re: Did I do this right?
Post by: Arkcon on February 23, 2014, 05:59:11 PM

That's not the number I get when I enter "2.48 * 10 ^-8" into Google's online calculator, either Log₁₀ or natural logarithm.  Given the definition of logarithm, given here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logarithm, your answer doesn't seem to be correct -- for example, 10 raised to the 0.000 000 004 isn't 0.000 000 002 48.

Title: Re: Did I do this right?
Post by: DrCMS on February 24, 2014, 04:21:27 AM

Do you want (log 2.48)x10^-8 or log (2.48x10^-8).  You have the answer for the 1st not the 2nd