1/6/25, 1:44 PM Logarithmic scale - Wikipedia

Logarithmic scale
A logarithmic scale (or log scale) is a
method used to display numerical data
that spans a broad range of values,
especially when there are significant
differences between the magnitudes of the
numbers involved.

Unlike a linear scale where each unit of

distance corresponds to the same
increment, on a logarithmic scale each
unit of length is a multiple of some base
value raised to a power, and corresponds Semi-log plot of the Internet host count over time shown on a
logarithmic scale
to the multiplication of the previous value
in the scale by the base value. In common
use, logarithmic scales are in base 10 (unless otherwise specified).

A logarithmic scale is nonlinear, and as such numbers with equal distance between them such as 1,
2, 3, 4, 5 are not equally spaced. Equally spaced values on a logarithmic scale have exponents that
increment uniformly. Examples of equally spaced values are 10, 100, 1000, 10000, and 100000
(i.e., 101, 102, 103, 104, 105) and 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 (i.e., 21, 22, 23, 24, 25).

Exponential growth curves are often depicted on a logarithmic scale graph.

Common uses
The markings on slide rules are arranged
A logarithmic scale from 0.1 to 100
in a log scale for multiplying or dividing
numbers by adding or subtracting lengths
on the scales.

The following are examples of commonly The two logarithmic scales of a slide rule
used logarithmic scales, where a larger
quantity results in a higher value:

Richter magnitude scale and moment magnitude scale (MMS) for strength of earthquakes and
movement in the Earth
Sound level, with the unit decibel
The Richter scale, also called the
Neper for amplitude, field and power quantities
Richter magnitude scale, Richter's
Frequency level, with units cent, minormagnitude
second, major second,
scale, and octave
forthe
the relative pitch
and
of notes in music
Gutenberg–Richter scale, is a
Logit for odds in statistics
measure of the strength of earthquakes,
Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale
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Logarithmic timeline developed by Charles Richter in

Counting f-stops for ratios of collaboration with Beno Gutenberg, and
photographic exposure presented in Richter's landmark 1935
The rule of nines used for rating low paper, where he called it the "magnitude
probabilities scale". This was later revised and
Entropy in thermodynamics renamed the local magnitude scale,
Information in information theory denoted as ML or ML .
Particle size distribution curves of soil
The following are examples of commonly
A logarithmic scale makes it easy to compare values that
used logarithmic scales, where a larger
cover a large range, such as in this map.
quantity results in a lower (or negative)
value:

pH for acidity
Stellar magnitude scale for brightness
of stars
Krumbein scale for particle size in
geology
Absorbance of light by transparent
samples
Some of our senses operate in a
logarithmic fashion (Weber–Fechner
law), which makes logarithmic scales for
these input quantities especially Map of the Solar System and the distance to Proxima
appropriate. In particular, our sense of Centauri, using a logarithmic scale and measured in
hearing perceives equal ratios of astronomical units.
frequencies as equal differences in pitch.
In addition, studies of young children in
an isolated tribe have shown logarithmic scales to be the most natural display of numbers in some
cultures.[1]

Graphic representation
The top left graph is linear in the X- and Y-axes, and the Y-axis ranges from 0 to 10. A base-10 log
scale is used for the Y-axis of the bottom left graph, and the Y-axis ranges from 0.1 to 1000.

The top right graph uses a log-10 scale for just the X-axis, and the bottom right graph uses a log-10
scale for both the X axis and the Y-axis.

Presentation of data on a logarithmic scale can be helpful when the data:

covers a large range of values, since the use of the logarithms of the values rather than the
actual values reduces a wide range to a more manageable size;
may contain exponential laws or power laws, since these will show up as straight lines.

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A slide rule has logarithmic scales, and

nomograms often employ logarithmic
scales. The geometric mean of two
numbers is midway between the numbers.
Before the advent of computer graphics,
logarithmic graph paper was a commonly
used scientific tool.

Log–log plots
If both the vertical and horizontal axes of
a plot are scaled logarithmically, the plot
is referred to as a log–log plot.

Semi-logarithmic plots
If only the ordinate or abscissa is scaled
logarithmically, the plot is referred to as a
Various scales: lin–lin, lin–log, log–lin, and log–log. Plotted
semi-logarithmic plot.
graphs are: y = 10 x (red), y = x (green), y = loge(x) (blue).

Extensions
A modified log transform can be defined for negative
input (y < 0) to avoid the singularity for zero input (y
= 0), and so produce symmetric log plots:[2][3]

for a constant C=1/ln(10).

Logarithmic units
A log–log plot condensing information that
A logarithmic unit is a unit that can be used to spans more than one order of magnitude along
express a quantity (physical or mathematical) on a both axes
logarithmic scale, that is, as being proportional to the
value of a logarithm function applied to the ratio of
the quantity and a reference quantity of the same type. The choice of unit generally indicates the
type of quantity and the base of the logarithm.

Examples
Examples of logarithmic units include units of information and information entropy (nat, shannon,
ban) and of signal level (decibel, bel, neper). Frequency levels or logarithmic frequency quantities
have various units are used in electronics (decade, octave) and for music pitch intervals (octave,
semitone, cent, etc.). Other logarithmic scale units include the Richter magnitude scale point.

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In addition, several industrial measures are logarithmic, such as standard values for resistors, the
American wire gauge, the Birmingham gauge used for wire and needles, and so on.

Units of information
bit, byte
hartley
nat
shannon

Units of level or level difference

bel, decibel
neper

Units of frequency level

decade, decidecade, savart

octave, tone, semitone, cent

Table of examples

Base of
Unit Underlying quantity Interpretation
logarithm

bit 2 number of possible messages quantity of information

byte 28 = 256 number of possible messages quantity of information

sound power level (for

decibel 10(1/10) ≈ 1.259 any power quantity (sound power, for example)
example)

any root-power quantity (sound pressure, for sound pressure level (for
decibel 10(1/20) ≈ 1.122 example) example)

semitone 2(1/12) ≈ 1.059 frequency of sound pitch interval

The two definitions of a decibel are equivalent, because a ratio of power quantities is equal to the
square of the corresponding ratio of root-power quantities.[4]

See also

Mathematics portal

Alexander Graham Bell

Bode plot
Geometric mean (arithmetic mean in logscale)
John Napier
Level (logarithmic quantity)
Log–log plot
Logarithm
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Logarithmic mean
Log semiring
Preferred number
Semi-log plot

Scale
Order of magnitude

Applications
Entropy
Entropy (information theory)
pH
Richter magnitude scale

References
1. "Slide Rule Sense: Amazonian Indigenous Culture Demonstrates Universal Mapping Of
Number Onto Space" (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080529141344.htm).
ScienceDaily. 2008-05-30. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
2. Webber, J Beau W (2012-12-21). "A bi-symmetric log transformation for wide-range data" (http
s://kar.kent.ac.uk/32810/2/2012_Bi-symmetric-log-transformation_v5.pdf) (PDF). Measurement
Science and Technology. 24 (2). IOP Publishing: 027001. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/24/2/027001
(https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0957-0233%2F24%2F2%2F027001). ISSN 0957-0233 (https://sea
rch.worldcat.org/issn/0957-0233). S2CID 12007380 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:
12007380).
3. "Symlog Demo" (https://matplotlib.org/stable/gallery/scales/symlog_demo.html). Matplotlib
3.4.2 documentation. 2021-05-08. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
4. Ainslie, M. A. (2015). A Century of Sonar: Planetary Oceanography, Underwater Noise
Monitoring, and the Terminology of Underwater Sound. (https://repository.oceanbestpractices.o
rg/bitstream/handle/11329/2340/A-Century-of-Sonar.pdf?sequence=1)

Further reading
Dehaene, Stanislas; Izard, Véronique; Spelke, Elizabeth; Pica, Pierre (2008). "Log or linear?
Distinct intuitions of the number scale in Western and Amazonian indigene cultures" (https://ww
w.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2610411). Science. 320 (5880): 1217–20.
Bibcode:2008Sci...320.1217D (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008Sci...320.1217D).
doi:10.1126/science.1156540 (https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1156540). PMC 2610411 (htt
ps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2610411). PMID 18511690 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nl
m.nih.gov/18511690).
Tuffentsammer, Karl; Schumacher, P. (1953). "Normzahlen – die einstellige Logarithmentafel
des Ingenieurs" [Preferred numbers - the engineer's single-digit logarithm table].
Werkstattechnik und Maschinenbau (in German). 43 (4): 156.
Tuffentsammer, Karl (1956). "Das Dezilog, eine Brücke zwischen Logarithmen, Dezibel, Neper
und Normzahlen" [The decilog, a bridge between logarithms, decibel, neper and preferred
numbers]. VDI-Zeitschrift (in German). 98: 267–274.
Ries, Clemens (1962). Normung nach Normzahlen [Standardization by preferred numbers] (in
German) (1 ed.). Berlin, Germany: Duncker & Humblot Verlag. ISBN 978-3-42801242-8. (135
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pages)
Paulin, Eugen (2007-09-01). Logarithmen, Normzahlen, Dezibel, Neper, Phon - natürlich
verwandt! (http://www.rechenschieber.org/Normzahlen.pdf) [Logarithms, preferred numbers,
decibel, neper, phon - naturally related!] (PDF) (in German). Archived (https://web.archive.org/
web/20161218223050/http://www.rechenschieber.org/Normzahlen.pdf) (PDF) from the original
on 2016-12-18. Retrieved 2016-12-18.

External links
"GNU Emacs Calc Manual: Logarithmic Units" (https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/ht
ml_node/calc/Logarithmic-Units.html). Gnu.org. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
Non-Newtonian calculus website (https://sites.google.com/site/nonnewtoniancalculus/)

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