Can a log have a negative exponent?
While the value of a logarithm itself can be positive or negative, the base of the log function and the argument of the log function are a different story. In other words, the only numbers you can plug into a log function are positive numbers.
Can you do the log of a negative?
You can’t take the logarithm of a negative number or of zero. 2. The logarithm of a positive number may be negative or zero.
What is the log of a negative number?
Natural Logarithm of Negative Number The natural logarithm function ln(x) is defined only for x>0. So the natural logarithm of a negative number is undefined.
What does a negative exponent do in logs?
log (1/a) = -log a means that the logarithm of 1 divided by some number is equal to the negative logarithm of that number. (This is the exactly the opposite of the rule governing exponents where a number raised to a negative number is equal to 1 divided by that number raised to that power.)
How do you do negative logs?
Calculating the negative log is as simple as performing the normal log function on 1/x instead of x. The base stays the same. For example, the negative log of -log(10) = log(1/10) = 1.
How do you calculate negative log?
How to calculate a negative log? Calculating the negative log is as simple as performing the normal log function on 1/x instead of x. The base stays the same. For example, the negative log of -log(10) = log(1/10) = 1.
Why is pH the negative log?
The pH is defined as the negative log10 of the hydrogen ion concentration expressed in mol/L. A negative logarithmic scale is used because the numbers are all less than 1, and vary over a wide range. High pH numbers, e.g. pH 7.8, represent lower hydrogen ion concentrations, i.e. alkaline solutions.
What is negative log in chemistry?
The precise definition of pH is “the negative common logarithm of the activity of hydrogen ion in solution”. For practical purposes, the activity is approximated as concentration in moles/L: pH = – log 10 ([H+]) .
Is it possible to find the log of a negative number?
Logarithms of negative numbers are not defined in the real numbers, in the same way that square roots of negative numbers aren’t defined in the real numbers. If you are expected to find the log of a negative number, an answer of “undefined” is sufficient in most cases. It is possible to evaluate one, however, the answer will be a complex number.
Can a log function take a negative argument?
The argument of a log function can only take positive arguments. In other words, the only numbers you can plug into a log function are positive numbers. Negative numbers, and the number 0, aren’t acceptable arguments to plug into a logarithm, but why?
Is the logarithm of a negative number undefined?
The logarithmic function. y = logb(x) is the inverse function of the exponential function. x = by. Since the base b is positive (b>0), the base b raised to the power of y must be positive (by>0) for any real y. So the number x must be positive (x>0). The real base b logarithm of a negative number is undefined.
Can a negative number be converted to an exponential number?
Calculators may output a log of a negative number when in complex mode, but the log of a negative number is not a real number. (x) = y, convert it to exponential form. x and identify b, y, and x. = x.