· Q 1. Could you tell me about the number e and what it has to do with exponentiation.
A. Have a look at the site
where you should find the introduction and Example 1 particularly useful.
Note. You can also find e on your calculator by taking the inverse of the natural logarithm of 1.
· Q 2. I would like to learn more about the exponential and logarithmic functions, including how they are defined, how they relate to one another and what is special about the natural logarithm.
A. Start off by having a read through the material found at Exponential and Logarithmic functions – some background then progress to the option Graphs of Logarithms at the bottom of the same page.
· Q 3. I’d like some reassurance that I can calculate i) e to the power of a number and ii) the natural logarithm of a number, on my calculator.
A. Start off by having a look at the site http://www.shodor.org/UNChem/math/calc/
If you can’t find a button for ex on your calculator, obtain e (see Note for anaswer to first question, above) and use the button for raising a number to a power.
For some further explanation and examples, have a look at:
http://www.purplemath.com/modules/logs2.htm
· Q 4. Is it easy to obtain to covert the values of a variable to their logarithms using SPSS?
A. Yes, very! From the menu Transform.you select the option Compute Variable. You will then be provided with a dlalogue box which, among out things, contains a box to the right entitled Function group. Use the scroll bar in this box to select Arithmetic. The box Functions and Special Variables below this box will then be populated with many arithmetic functions, including Lg10 (the base 10 logarithmic function) and Ln (the natural logarithmic function). Choose which one you prefer. Completion of the remainder of the dialogue box should be straightforward and there is a help button included if you have any concerns.
The exponential and logarithmic functions by Margaret MacDougall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
