Reading Graphs with a Logarithmic Scale

Summary:
Students will be able to read and interpret graphs with a logarithmic scale. Materials:

Students will need:

  • Background Information
  • Student worksheet

Worksheets:

Purchase PDF/PPT versions
Source:
Developed by Gayl Bintner with support from NCAR's High Altitude Observatory and the staff of UCAR's Education & Outreach Program.
Grade level:
 7-12
Time:
40 minutes
Student Learning Outcomes:
  • Students will be able to interpret graphs containing a logarithmic scale.
  • Students will be able to analyze how concentration of atomic oxygen in the thermosphere changes with altitude.
Lesson format:
Graph Interpretation, Reading and Writing

Standards Addressed:

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Have students read the introduction to logarithmic scales on the student worksheet.
  2. Have students complete the student worksheet concerning logarithmic scales and the concentration of atomic oxygen in the Earth's thermosphere.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Related websites with more background concerning logarithmic scales can be found at:

www.answers.com/topic/logarithmic-scale-2
This site gives an explanation of the logarithmic scale and numerous examples that students can encounter, such as the Richter scale, acoustics and photographic exposures.

mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/55520.html
This site gives technical and mathematical explanations of logarithmic scales and their practical uses within biological and environmental sciences.

RELATED SECTIONS OF THE WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE WEBSITE:

Other activities related to graphing and Earth's atmosphere:

Last modified May 20, 2005 by Randy Russell.

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA