How to take logs of an equation?

Q: Take logs of both sides:
T=2 pi sqrt frac{l}{g}T=2πlg

My incomplete attempt at answering:
log(T)=log(2pi sqrt frac {l}{g})log(T)=log(2πlg)
log(T)=log(2)+log(pi)+log(sqrtl)-log(sqrtg)log(T)=log(2)+log(π)+log(l)log(g)

I'm not sure if this is correct and I'm not sure how to remove the square roots.

Ultimately I'm trying to rearrange into the form y=mx+cy=mx+c so that I can input the gradient and intercept from a graph.

1 Answer
Mar 12, 2018

Please see below.

Explanation:

As T=2pisqrt(l/g)T=2πlg

logT=log2+logpi+logsqrtl-logsqrtglogT=log2+logπ+logllogg ...............(A)

Now as sqrta=a^(1/2)a=a12, logsqrta=loga^(1/2)=1/2logaloga=loga12=12loga

Also if we are using SI system of units g=9.81m/s^2g=9.81ms2

and while log2=0.3010log2=0.3010, logpi=0.4971logπ=0.4971 and logg=0.9917logg=0.9917

Hence (A) becomes

logT=0.3010+0.4971+1/2logl-1/2xx0.9917logT=0.3010+0.4971+12logl12×0.9917

or logT=0.2996+0.5logllogT=0.2996+0.5logl

and here gradient is 0.50.5 and intercept is 0.29960.2996.

So now it is in form y=mx+cy=mx+c, where y=logTy=logT, m=1/2m=12 and c=0.2996c=0.2996.

Now you can draw a graph between logTlogT and logllogl, where TT is in seconds and ll is in meters,

and then intercept should be 0.29960.2996 and gradient would be 0.50.5. But intercept assumes g=9.81m/s^2g=9.81ms2.

What if gg is different? You can then get gg from intercept.

Observe that intercept cc is actually c=log((2pi)/sqrtg)c=log(2πg)

so once you get intercept cc, c=log((2pi)/sqrtg)c=log(2πg)

and (2pi)/sqrtg=10^c2πg=10c or antilogcantilogc

i.e. sqrtg=(2pi)/10^cg=2π10c and g=(4pi^2)/10^(2c)g=4π2102c