Definition of logarithms MCQs With Answer are essential for B. Pharm students to master mathematical tools used in pharmacokinetics, pH calculations, drug concentration decay, and analytical assays. This concise, exam-focused set explains the definition, properties, and applications of logarithms, including base-10 and natural logs, change-of-base formula, and log rules for products, quotients, and powers. Questions are tailored to pharmacy contexts—pKa, Henderson-Hasselbalch, half-life computations, dilution factors, and absorbance relationships—so learners gain practical problem-solving skills. Clear answers and stepwise reasoning improve retention and exam readiness. Now let’s test your knowledge with 50 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What does the logarithm log_b(a) represent?
- The exponent to which b must be raised to get a
- The product of a and b
- The square root of a divided by b
- The reciprocal of a
Correct Answer: The exponent to which b must be raised to get a
Q2. If log10(1000) = x, what is x?
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Correct Answer: 3
Q3. Which equation is equivalent to log_b(a) = c?
- a = b^c
- a = c^b
- b = a^c
- c = a^b
Correct Answer: a = b^c
Q4. What is the value of ln(e^3)?
- e^3
- 3
- ln 3
- 0
Correct Answer: 3
Q5. Which property of logarithms expresses log_b(xy)?
- log_b(xy) = log_b(x) + log_b(y)
- log_b(xy) = log_b(x) – log_b(y)
- log_b(xy) = log_b(x) * log_b(y)
- log_b(xy) = log_b(x)/log_b(y)
Correct Answer: log_b(xy) = log_b(x) + log_b(y)
Q6. How do you express log_b(a^k) using log rules?
- k * log_b(a)
- log_b(a) / k
- log_b(k) * a
- a^k * log_b(a)
Correct Answer: k * log_b(a)
Q7. What is the change-of-base formula for logs?
- log_b(a) = log_c(a) / log_c(b)
- log_b(a) = log_c(b) / log_c(a)
- log_b(a) = log_a(c) / log_b(c)
- log_b(a) = log_c(a) * log_c(b)
Correct Answer: log_b(a) = log_c(a) / log_c(b)
Q8. Which logarithm is most commonly used in pH calculations?
- Natural logarithm (ln)
- Base-2 logarithm (log2)
- Base-10 logarithm (log10)
- Binary logarithm (logb)
Correct Answer: Base-10 logarithm (log10)
Q9. The pH is defined as -log10[H+]. What is the pH when [H+] = 1 × 10^-7 M?
- 7
- −7
- 0.7
- 14
Correct Answer: 7
Q10. If log10(x) = 2.5, what is x?
- 2.5
- 10^2.5
- log10(2.5)
- 25
Correct Answer: 10^2.5
Q11. Which rule gives log_b(x/y)?
- log_b(x/y) = log_b(x) − log_b(y)
- log_b(x/y) = log_b(x) + log_b(y)
- log_b(x/y) = log_b(y) − log_b(x)
- log_b(x/y) = log_b(x) * log_b(y)
Correct Answer: log_b(x/y) = log_b(x) − log_b(y)
Q12. For a first-order elimination, concentration C = C0 * e^(−kt). To solve for k, which transformation uses logs?
- ln(C/C0) = −kt
- log10(C) = −kt
- C0 = ln(C) + kt
- k = log10(C0/C)/t
Correct Answer: ln(C/C0) = −kt
Q13. If half-life t1/2 = ln(2)/k, which log is used to derive this?
- Natural logarithm (ln)
- Base-10 logarithm (log10)
- Base-2 logarithm (log2)
- No logarithm is used
Correct Answer: Natural logarithm (ln)
Q14. What is log10(0.001)?
- −3
- 3
- −0.001
- 0.001
Correct Answer: −3
Q15. Which statement about logarithms is false?
- log_b(1) = 0 for any b>0, b≠1
- log_b(b) = 1 for any b>0, b≠1
- log_b(0) is defined
- Logs convert multiplication into addition
Correct Answer: log_b(0) is defined
Q16. In spectroscopy, absorbance A = log10(I0/I). What does this imply?
- Absorbance is proportional to the log of incident to transmitted intensity ratio
- Absorbance equals the difference I0 − I
- Absorbance is independent of light intensity
- Absorbance is the square root of I0/I
Correct Answer: Absorbance is proportional to the log of incident to transmitted intensity ratio
Q17. Convert log_e(50) to base-10: log10(50) = ln(50)/ln(10). Which formula justifies this?
- Change-of-base formula
- Power rule
- Product rule
- Quotient rule
Correct Answer: Change-of-base formula
Q18. If log2(8) = x, what is x?
- 3
- 2
- 8
- 0.125
Correct Answer: 3
Q19. Which log identity simplifies log_b(1/a)?
- log_b(1/a) = −log_b(a)
- log_b(1/a) = log_b(a)
- log_b(1/a) = 1/log_b(a)
- log_b(1/a) = a * log_b(1)
Correct Answer: log_b(1/a) = −log_b(a)
Q20. In Henderson-Hasselbalch, pH = pKa + log10([A−]/[HA]). This uses which log property?
- Logarithm of a quotient
- Logarithm of a product
- Logarithm of a power
- Change-of-base
Correct Answer: Logarithm of a quotient
Q21. Solve for x: log10(x) = −2. Which x is correct?
- 0.01
- 100
- −2
- 2
Correct Answer: 0.01
Q22. Which is true for natural logs and exponentials?
- ln(e^y) = y
- e^(ln y) = ln(y)^e
- ln(e) = e
- ln(y^e) = e * y
Correct Answer: ln(e^y) = y
Q23. If a drug concentration falls from 100 mg/L to 25 mg/L in one hour, log10(C0/C) = ? for use in rate equations.
- log10(100/25) = log10(4) ≈ 0.602
- log10(25/100) = −0.602
- log10(100 − 25) = log10(75)
- log10(100 * 25)
Correct Answer: log10(100/25) = log10(4) ≈ 0.602
Q24. Which log base converts easily between decibels and power ratios?
- Base-10 logarithm (log10)
- Natural logarithm (ln)
- Base-2 logarithm (log2)
- Base-euler (loge)
Correct Answer: Base-10 logarithm (log10)
Q25. What is log10(5 × 10^3)?
- log10(5) + 3
- log10(5) − 3
- log10(5) * 3
- 3 / log10(5)
Correct Answer: log10(5) + 3
Q26. Which is the inverse function of y = log_b(x)?
- y = b^x
- y = ln(x)
- y = log_b(1/x)
- y = x^b
Correct Answer: y = b^x
Q27. For small changes, logs help linearize exponential decay. Which plot linearizes a first-order decay?
- ln(C) vs time
- C vs time
- log10(time) vs C
- sqrt(C) vs time
Correct Answer: ln(C) vs time
Q28. Which value equals log10(1)?
- 0
- 1
- 10
- Undefined
Correct Answer: 0
Q29. If k = 0.693 h^−1, what is the half-life t1/2? (t1/2 = ln2/k)
- 1 hour
- 0.693 hours
- ln2 hours
- 2 hours
Correct Answer: 1 hour
Q30. Which is correct: log_b(a^m * a^n) = ?
- log_b(a^(m+n)) = (m+n) log_b(a)
- log_b(a^(m+n)) = m log_b(a) − n log_b(a)
- log_b(a^m * a^n) = log_b(a^m) / log_b(a^n)
- log_b(a^m * a^n) = log_b(a)^m + log_b(a)^n
Correct Answer: log_b(a^(m+n)) = (m+n) log_b(a)
Q31. Which expression is equivalent to log10(0.5) + log10(2)?
- log10(1) = 0
- log10(1) = 1
- log10(4)
- log10(0.25)
Correct Answer: log10(1) = 0
Q32. In pharmacokinetics, if concentration ratio C1/C2 = 10, log10(C1/C2) = ?
- 1
- 10
- 0.1
- −1
Correct Answer: 1
Q33. What is log10(9.0 × 10^2)?
- log10(9.0) + 2
- log10(9.0) − 2
- 9.0 + 2
- 902
Correct Answer: log10(9.0) + 2
Q34. Which of these is undefined in real numbers?
- log10(−1)
- log10(0.1)
- log10(1)
- ln(2)
Correct Answer: log10(−1)
Q35. If pKa = 4.76 and pH = 5.76, what is the ratio [A−]/[HA]? (Henderson-Hasselbalch)
- 10
- 0.1
- 1
- 100
Correct Answer: 10
Q36. For log_b(a) where b = 10 and a = 100, which is true?
- log10(100) = 2
- log10(100) = 10
- log10(100) = 0.5
- log10(100) = −2
Correct Answer: log10(100) = 2
Q37. Which operation is easier after taking logarithms of multiplicative experimental errors?
- Summation of errors
- Multiplication of errors
- Exponentiation of errors
- Integration of errors
Correct Answer: Summation of errors
Q38. What is the result of log10(2) + log10(5)?
- log10(10) = 1
- log10(7)
- log10(0.4)
- log10(25)
Correct Answer: log10(10) = 1
Q39. Which of the following helps compute drug dilution factors using logs?
- logarithm rules for products and quotients
- trigonometric identities
- matrix inversion
- complex arithmetic
Correct Answer: logarithm rules for products and quotients
Q40. If ln(A) = 4, what is A?
- e^4
- 4e
- ln(4)
- 16
Correct Answer: e^4
Q41. Which expression uses the power rule correctly?
- log_b(a^3) = 3 log_b(a)
- log_b(a^3) = log_b(3a)
- log_b(a^3) = log_b(a) / 3
- log_b(a^3) = log_b(a)^3
Correct Answer: log_b(a^3) = 3 log_b(a)
Q42. A drug’s concentration follows C = C0 * 10^(−kt). Taking log10 gives which linear relation?
- log10(C) = log10(C0) − kt
- log10(C) = log10(C0) + kt
- log10(C) = kt − log10(C0)
- log10(C) = k + log10(C0)
Correct Answer: log10(C) = log10(C0) − kt
Q43. Which is true about log base b when b>1?
- log_b(x) is increasing with x
- log_b(x) is decreasing with x
- log_b(x) is periodic
- log_b(x) is constant
Correct Answer: log_b(x) is increasing with x
Q44. Which log is commonly used in kinetics to linearize data plotted as log concentration vs time?
- Natural log (ln)
- Base-2 log (log2)
- Binary log
- No log is used
Correct Answer: Natural log (ln)
Q45. What is log10(4 × 10^−3)?
- log10(4) − 3
- log10(4) + 3
- −log10(4) + 3
- 4 − 3
Correct Answer: log10(4) − 3
Q46. If log_b(a) = 2 and log_b(c) = 3, what is log_b(a^2 * c)?
- 2*2 + 3 = 7
- 2 + 3 = 5
- 4 + 3 = 7
- 2*3 = 6
Correct Answer: 4 + 3 = 7
Q47. How to solve for time t when C = C0 e^(−kt) and concentrations are known?
- t = −(1/k) ln(C/C0)
- t = k ln(C/C0)
- t = ln(C0 * C)/k
- t = ln(k)/ln(C/C0)
Correct Answer: t = −(1/k) ln(C/C0)
Q48. Which statement correctly uses logs for dilution: a 1:1000 dilution changes concentration by?
- −3 log10 units
- +3 log10 units
- −1000 log10 units
- 0.001 log10 units
Correct Answer: −3 log10 units
Q49. In experiment calibration, plotting log(concentration) vs signal often yields:
- A straight line if response is power-law
- A sine wave
- A random scatter only
- An exponential curve always
Correct Answer: A straight line if response is power-law
Q50. Which best summarizes why logs are important in B.Pharm mathematics?
- They linearize exponentials, simplify multiplicative relationships, and aid pH, kinetics, and analytical calculations
- They eliminate the need for units
- They always convert data to integers
- They are only used for theoretical proofs, not practical work
Correct Answer: They linearize exponentials, simplify multiplicative relationships, and aid pH, kinetics, and analytical calculations

I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com

