Easy way to compute logarithms without a calculator?

Solution 1:

To evaluate $\log_8 128$, let $$\log_8 128 = x$$ Then by definition of the logarithm, $$8^x = 128$$ Since $8 = 2^3$ and $128 = 2^7$, we obtain \begin{align*} (2^3)^x & = 2^7\\ 2^{3x} & = 2^7 \end{align*} If two exponentials with the same base are equal, then their exponents must be equal. Hence, \begin{align*} 3x & = 7\\ x & = \frac{7}{3} \end{align*}

Check: If $x = \frac{7}{3}$, then $$8^x = 8^{\frac{7}{3}} = (8^{\frac{1}{3}})^7 = 2^7 = 128$$

Solution 2:

Using $\log_xy=\dfrac{\log_ay}{\log_ax}$ and $\log(z^m)=m\log z$ where all the logarithms must remain defined unlike $\log_a1\ne\log_a(-1)^2$

$$\log_8{128}=\dfrac{\log_a(2^7)}{\log_a(2^3)}=\dfrac{7\log_a2}{3\log_a2}=?$$

Clearly, $\log_a2$ is non-zero finite for finite real $a>0,\ne1$

See Laws of Logarithms