Here's what you have to keep saying to yourself until it carves a new groove into your brain and you don't have to think about it any more:
<em> " log(x) = the power that 10 must be raised to </em> <em> in order to wind up with 'x'. "</em>
You said 2.36 = -log(x)
Multiply each side by -1 : log(x) = -2.36
Now translate it into the mantra:
<em> The power that 10 must be raised to </em> <em> in order to wind up with 'x' is -2.36 .</em>
Do you see what that means ? ! ?
If the power that 10 must be raised to in order to wind up with 'x' is -2.36, then all you have to do to find 'x' is raise 10 to the power of -2.36 ! You can do that with about 4 clicks on your calculator.
10^(-2.36) = <em>0.004365...</em> (rounded)
And if you don't quite believe it, it's even easier to check it. Punch " 0.004365 " into your calculator, and then touch the " 10^x " key, and something very close to -2.36 will pop up right there, before your wondrous eyes.
