Logs!

Algebra Level 2

log 2 x + log 4 x = 3 \large \log_{2}x + \log_{4}x = 3

What real value of x x satisfies the equation above?


The answer is 4.

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6 solutions

Anish Harsha
Dec 22, 2015

log 2 x + log 4 x = 3 \large\log_{2}x +\log_{4}x = 3 log 4 x = 1 2 log 2 x \large\log_{4}x = \dfrac{1}{2} \log_{2}x log 2 x + 1 2 log 2 x = 3 \large\log_{2}{x}+\dfrac{1}{2}\log_{2}x = 3 3 2 log 2 x = 3 \large\dfrac{3}{2}\log_{2}x = 3 log 2 x = 2 \large\log_{2}x = 2 x = 4 \large x=4

Nice way of thinking (+1)

Department 8 - 5 years, 5 months ago

Can you please explain why log4 (x)=0.5log2 (x)

Brandon Lopez - 5 years, 5 months ago

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\log 4 (x) =\frac{1}{\log x (4)} =\frac{1}{2 \log x (2)} =0.5 \log 2 (x)

Irfan Karim - 5 years, 5 months ago

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You mean: log 4 x = 1 log x 4 = 1 2 log x 2 = 1 2 log 2 x \log_{4}x = \frac{1}{\log_{x} 4} =\frac{1}{2 \log_{x} 2} =\dfrac{1}{2} \log_{2} x ?

A Former Brilliant Member - 5 years, 5 months ago

What is it exactly that log does?

Kimberly Schott - 5 years, 5 months ago

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@Kimberly Schott -- Check out the wiki page Logarithms .

Eli Ross Staff - 5 years, 5 months ago

1 l o g 2 4 \frac{1}{log_2 4} = 1 2 \frac12

Lu Chee Ket - 5 years, 5 months ago
Jonny Boy
Dec 24, 2015

log 4 x + log 2 x = 3 \log _4 x + \log _2 x = 3

log 4 x = 3 log 2 x \log _4 x = 3 - \log _2 x

x = 4 3 log 2 x \Rightarrow x = 4^{3 - \log _2 x }

x = 4 3 4 log 2 x x = \frac{4^3} {4^{ \log _2 x }}

x = 4 3 2 2 log 2 x x = \frac{4^3} {2^{2 \cdot \log _2 x }}

x = 4 3 2 log 2 x 2 x = \frac{4^3} {2^{ \log _2 x^2 }}

x = 4 3 x 2 x = \frac{4^3} { x^2 }

x 3 = 4 3 x^3 = 4^3

x = 4 x = 4

log 2 4 + log 4 4 = 3 \boxed{ \Rightarrow \log _2 4 + \log _4 4 = 3 }

Best solution

Chris Gilliom - 5 years, 5 months ago
Simen Bugge
Jan 6, 2016

l o g 2 x + l o g 4 x = 3 log_{2}x+log_{4}x=3

If we change base 4 to base 2 (by using the change-of-base formula), we get

l o g 2 x + l o g 2 x l o g 2 4 = 3 log_{2}x+\frac{log_{2}x}{log_{2}4}=3

Multiply both sides by two, and you then have

l o g 2 x = 2 x = 4 log_{2}x=2 \Leftrightarrow x=4

Faisal Basha
Dec 24, 2015

ln x = 3 *(ln 3 * ln 4) / (ln 3 + ln 4), x = 4

Roger Erisman
Jan 8, 2016

Rewrite as: log x / log 2 + log x / log 4 = 3

Multiply both sides by log 2 * log 4

log 4 * log x + log 2 * log x = 3 * log 2 * log 4

Factor

log x ( log 2 + log 4) = 3 * log 2 * log 4

Divide by the sum

log x = (3 * log 2 * log 4 ) / (log 2 + log 4)

By the rules of logs 3*log 2 = log 2^3 = log 8

AND log 2 + log 4 = log (2*4) = log 8

which leaves log 8 * log 4 / log 8 = log 4

log x = log 4 ==> x = 4

Muhamad Ramdan
Dec 28, 2015

Logs, 4 word, 4 = answer :)

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