SOLUTION: {{{((1/2)log(5, (16)) -3log(5, (x)))+4log(5, (y))-5(log(5, (x^2))-3log(5, (x^2y)))}}} I have no idea how to simplify this :( please help mee.

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Question 422632:
I have no idea how to simplify this :( please help mee.

Answer by jsmallt9(3758)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Reducing the number of terms by combining them is part of the process of simplifying. This reduction is often done by adding and subtracting like terms.

Like logarithmic terms have bases and arguments that are the same. For example in the expression:

The logarithms have the same bases, 7, and the same arguments, 4q. So they are like terms and can be added. And exactly like 2x + 4x = 6x:


None of your terms are like terms. So we will not be able to add ot subtract any of them. However logarithms have some properties that provide an alternate way to combine logarithmic terms:These properties require that the bases are the same and the coeddicients (the numbers in front) to be 1's. All your terms have bases that are the same. But most of them do not have 1's in front. So we cannot use these properties, yet.

Fortunately there is another property of logarithms, , that provides a way to "move" a coefficient "out of the way". The property let's us move a coefficient into the argument as its argument.

So what we are going to be doing is