Final answer:
The common logarithm uses base 10 while the natural logarithm uses the base 'e' (approximately 2.7182818). The logarithm is the exponent reached when the base is raised to produce the original number. Common and natural logs can be calculated using a calculator, with common logs using the 'log' button and natural logs using the 'ln' button.
Step-by-step explanation:
Difference Between Natural Log and Common Log
The main difference between the common log and the natural log lies in their base numbers. A common logarithm (log) of a number is the exponent to which the base number 10 must be raised to produce that number. For instance, the common logarithm of 100 is 2 since 102 equals 100. In contrast, the natural logarithm (ln) of a number is the exponent to which the number 'e' (where 'e' is approximately 2.7182818) must be raised to obtain that number. For example, the natural logarithm of 10 is approximately 2.303, symbolizing that e2.303 nearly equals 10.
To use these logs on a calculator for various calculations, you can often find a designated log button for common logarithms and an ln button for natural logarithms. To reverse a logarithm (find the original number from its logarithm), you would take either 10 to the power of x for common logs or e to the power of x for natural logs, with 'x' being the logarithmic value.