What is log base 10 of 0.01?

What is log base 10 of 0.01?

• A. -2
• B. -1
• C. 0
• D. 1

Answer: (A)

Logarithms tell you what exponent you must raise the base to obtain a number. Here, you want x with 10^x = 0.01. Since 0.01 is 1/100 and 100 = 10^2, we have 0.01 = 10^-2. Therefore, x = -2, so log base 10 of 0.01 equals -2. Because the number is between 0 and 1, its logarithm is negative, and 0.01 is smaller than 0.1, giving a result of -2 rather than -1, 0, or 1.

Logarithms tell you what exponent you must raise the base to obtain a number. Here, you want x with 10^x = 0.01. Since 0.01 is 1/100 and 100 = 10^2, we have 0.01 = 10^-2. Therefore, x = -2, so log base 10 of 0.01 equals -2. Because the number is between 0 and 1, its logarithm is negative, and 0.01 is smaller than 0.1, giving a result of -2 rather than -1, 0, or 1.