LOG10 Function (OpenOffice Calc)
The LOG10 function in OpenOffice Calc returns the base‑10 logarithm of a number. Learn syntax, domain rules, examples, and best practices.
Compatibility
▾| Excel | ✔ |
| Gnumeric | ✔ |
| Google_sheets | ✔ |
| Libreoffice | ✔ |
| Numbers | ✔ |
| Onlyoffice | ✔ |
| Openoffice | ✔ |
| Wps | ✔ |
| Zoho | ✔ |
What the LOG10 Function Does ▾
- Computes the logarithm of a number using base 10
- Only accepts positive numbers
- Useful for scientific notation, decibels, scaling, and data normalization
- Works across sheets
- Equivalent to
LOG(number; 10)
LOG10 is ideal when you need common logarithmic scaling.
Syntax ▾
LOG10(number)
Arguments:
- number — A positive numeric value
LOG10 is undefined for zero and negative numbers.
Domain Rules ▾
| Input | Valid? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| number > 0 | ✔ | Required |
| number = 0 | ✘ | Undefined |
| number < 0 | ✘ | Undefined |
| text | ✘ | Error |
Mathematically:
[ \log_{10}(x) \text{ is defined only for } x > 0 ]
Basic Examples ▾
Log base 10 of a number
=LOG10(100)
Result: 2
Log base 10 of 1
=LOG10(1)
Result: 0
Log base 10 using a cell reference
=LOG10(A1)
Equivalent LOG expression
=LOG(A1; 10)
Advanced Examples ▾
Convert scientific notation to exponent
=LOG10(A1)
Example:
If A1 = 1,000,000 → result = 6
Decibel (dB) calculations
Power ratio:
=10 * LOG10(P2 / P1)
Amplitude ratio:
=20 * LOG10(A2 / A1)
Normalize data on a log scale
=LOG10(A1 + 1)
Reverse a LOG10 transformation
=POWER(10; A1)
LOG10 across sheets
=LOG10(Sheet1.A1)
Logarithmic regression components
=LOG10(Y1:Y10)
Confirm with Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
Convert between log bases
[ \log_b(x) = \frac{\log_{10}(x)}{\log_{10}(b)} ]
Calc:
=LOG10(A1) / LOG10(B1)
Common Errors and Fixes ▾
LOG10 returns Err:502 (Invalid argument)
Occurs when:
- number ≤ 0
- number is text
- number is empty
- A malformed reference is used
LOG10 returns Err:503 (Numeric overflow)
Occurs when:
- number is extremely large
- result exceeds Calc’s numeric limits
LOG10 returns unexpected results
Possible causes:
- Using percentages incorrectly (5% vs 0.05)
- Negative or zero values from formulas
- Text numbers not converted to numeric
LOG10 ignores values you expected it to include
LOG10 ignores:
- Text numbers (
"123") - Empty cells
- Logical values
- Errors
LOG10 includes values you expected it to ignore
LOG10 includes:
- Dates
- Times
- Numeric results of formulas
Err:508 — Missing parenthesis
Usually caused by:
- Missing
() - Using commas instead of semicolons
Best Practices ▾
- Use LOG10 for engineering, scientific notation, and decibel math
- Use LOG for custom bases
- Use LN for natural logs
- Validate inputs to avoid negative or zero values
- Convert imported text numbers to real numbers
- Use named ranges for cleaner formulas
LOG10 is the fastest way to extract orders of magnitude — perfect for scientific and engineering workflows.