How to Use logarithmic scale in a Sentence

logarithmic scale

noun
  • Two decibels may not seem like much, but sound pressure is a logarithmic scale.
    — K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 26 June 2021
  • Like the Richter scale for earthquakes, decibels are a logarithmic scale.
    — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 8 Feb. 2018
  • The data look very different when plotted on what is called a logarithmic scale.
    — Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2020
  • Note that the above graph has a logarithmic scale, in this case, each dash is 10 times higher than the one below it.
    — Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 6 Oct. 2020
  • Colors indicate, in logarithmic scale, from dark to bright, the spots more likely to be occupied by drivers on that trip.
    — Marta González, Mit; Antonio Lima, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2016
  • Using a logarithmic scale, the Sun, Mercury, and Mars are all within the same area.
    — Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 26 Aug. 2022
  • Graphed out using a logarithmic scale, this information showed up as a downward 45 degree slope, or a minus one slope.
    — Rachel Feltman, Popular Science, 8 Nov. 2023
  • Here’s that same chart on a logarithmic scale, where every vertical step is 10-times greater in value than the vertical step below it.
    — Max De Haldevang, Quartz, 11 Jan. 2020
  • Because decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, that’s a halving of sound energy, easily noticeable by the human ear.
    — Joanne Silberner, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
  • The right panel, using a logarithmic scale shows earthquake numbers at both locations are rising exponentially at the same rate of increase.
    — Ian Palmer, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2021
  • On a logarithmic scale, the Sun, Mercury, and Mars are practically equidistant.
    — Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Earthquakes are measured by magnitude on a logarithmic scale — so each whole number increase translates to 32 times more energy released by the quake.
    — Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
  • Earthquakes are measured by magnitude on a logarithmic scale — so each whole number increase translates to 32 times more energy released by the quake.
    — Annette Choi, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
  • This logarithmic scale allows for an easier comparison of the exoplanets.
    — Nadia Drake, National Geographic, 7 Mar. 2019
  • This experimental setup approximates quakes of magnitudes 4 through 8, which is quite a range, since earthquakes are measured on a logarithmic scale.
    — Ashley P. Taylor, Discover Magazine, 8 Oct. 2012
  • Sound pressure measurements are on a logarithmic scale, meaning that a small numerical increase in the data represents a substantial noticeable difference in the real world.
    — Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 18 May 2022
  • But rather than a linear scale, which would take several quintillions of Earths lined end-to-end to reach the limits of the observable Universe, a logarithmic scale holds far more cosmic insights to an onlooker.
    — Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 1 Sep. 2025
  • This scale conveys magnitude on a base-10 logarithmic scale, which is a fancy way of saying that each order of magnitude represents a 10-times increase in intensity from the last one.
    — Sven Karabegovic, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Sep. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'logarithmic scale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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