Question 924190
 Characteristic and Mantissa:

Consider a number {{{N > 0}}}.

Then, let the value of {{{log (10, N)}}} consist of two parts: 0ne an integral part, the other – a proper fraction.

The integral part is called the {{{characteristic}}} and the fractional or the decimal part is called the {{{mantissa}}}.

For example, {{{log (10, 15) = 1.176 = 1 + 0.176}}} => the {{{characteristic}}} is {{{1}}} and the {{{mantissa}}} is {{{0.176}}}

we consider logarithms of numbers less than {{{1}}}:all numbers are expressed to base {{{10}}} ; so,

{{{log(10, 0.5) = -0.301 = -1 + 0.699}}}=> the {{{characteristic}}} is {{{-1}}} and the {{{mantissa}}} is  {{{0.699}}}