Symbols · Operators and calculus
log ln Logarithm
Say it: “log”, “the natural log of”, “log base 10 of”
What it means
The logarithm undoes a power: log base b of x is the power b must be raised to to give x. ln is the natural logarithm, base e. A plain log means base 10 in chemistry and engineering, base e in most mathematics and statistics, and base 2 in computer science.
Read aloud in real formulas
pH = −log₁₀[H⁺]
Aethel says
pH equals negative log base 10 of the concentration of H plus
the pH from the hydrogen-ion concentration
ln(eˣ) = x
Aethel says
the natural log of the quantity e to the power of x, equals x
the natural log undoes e to the x
Typing it
- LaTeX
- \log, \ln, \log_{10}
- Unicode
- —
Formulas that use it
Questions
How do you say log out loud?
It is usually read “log”, and also “the natural log of” or “log base 10 of”.
What does log mean in maths?
The logarithm undoes a power: log base b of x is the power b must be raised to to give x. ln is the natural logarithm, base e. A plain log means base 10 in chemistry and engineering, base e in most mathematics and statistics, and base 2 in computer science.
How do you type log?
In LaTeX, write \log, \ln, \log_{10}.