This post offers reasons for using logarithmic scales, also called log scales, on charts and graphs. It explains when logarithmic graphs with base 2 are preferred to logarithmic graphs with base 10.

First we have proportional parts of all numbers up to 100; then on one page three-place logarithms of numbers and of the six trigonometric functions, natural and logarithmic.

The data look very different when plotted on what is called a logarithmic scale. In a typical graph, values on the (vertical) y-axis are plotted linearly: 1, 2, 3, and so on, or 10, 20, 30, or the ...