Solving Absolute Value Equations Notes (Day 1)
Solving Absolute Value Equations Notes (Day 1)
Ex 1 (a) |x| = 3
- 3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
(b) |x-5| = 7
This equation wants you to find the numbers that have a distance of 7 units from 5.
The value of 7 is referred to as the “tolerance” value. Draw a number line to
find the answers.
Solving an absolute value equation algebraically requires you to rewrite the absolute
value equation as two separate equations (without absolute value) and then
find a solution to each. These algebraic solutions will be the same as the solutions
found by graphing. Notice how the right side of the equation changes but the left
side does not.
Ex 2 Solve: |2x + 7| = 15
Ex 4 |3x – 1| + 8 = 0
Ex 5 |x – 2| = 2x – 10
Practice:
3. |f – 5| = 3 3. | n – (-9)| = 4
5. |6 – p| = 4 6. |2d – 5| = 13
|3−2 x|
11. 4 – 3|x – 2| = -8 12. 5 - 3 =4
Application: (Write an absolute value equation for the situation and solve.
15. A baseball has a cushioned cork center called the pill. The pill must weigh 0.85 ounce,
with a tolerance of 0.05 ounce. What is the lowest and highest weight that the pill can
measure?