A logarithm is not something you do to a number — it is a question, and the answer is always an exponent. Read log2 32 out loud as “2 raised to what power gives 32?” and the mystery drains out of it. Slide a number up and down the ladder of powers below and watch its logarithm appear as the rung number, then step through six logarithms worked out one line at a time.
The ladder of powers
Choose a base, then slide the number
the base — the number doing the multiplying
the number you are taking the logarithm of
← smaller1bigger →
Six logarithms, worked outpick one, then step through it