a place of mind FA C U LT Y O F E D U C AT I O N

Department of
Curriculum and Pedagogy

Mathematics
Numbers: Absolute Values
Science and Mathematics
Education Research Group

Supported by UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund 2012-2013

 Absolute Values

-10 -5 0 5 10
 Absolute Values

The two vertical bars refer to the absolute value of the

number.
What is the value of  24 ?
A. 24
B. -24
C. ± 24
D. 242
E. 0
 Solution

Answer: A
Justification: The absolute value of a real number is its
value without regarding its sign. It is often referred to as the
magnitude of the number.
 24  24
In this example, the value inside the absolute value is
negative. After computing the absolute value, we are returned
the positive value 24.
If the number inside the absolute value were positive, the
number would not change.
24  24
 Absolute Values II

What is the value of the following expression?

 1 7 2

A. 49
B. -49
C. ±49
D. ±7
E. 0
 Solution

Answer: A
Justification: The absolute value of a real number is its
value without regarding its sign.
Compute all the calculations inside absolute value signs as
you would with brackets.

 1 7 2   49  49

The absolute value of -49 is 49.

 Absolute Values III

What is the value of the following expression?

 2  22

A. 8
B. -8
C. ±8
D. 2
E. -2
 Solution

Answer: B
Justification: Compute all the calculations inside absolute
value signs as you would with brackets.
 2  22  2  4
After applying the absolute value, the -4 becomes positive 4.
We then multiply by the -2 outside the absolute value.
 2  4  2(4)
 8
Even though this expression includes an absolute value, the
value of the expression is still negative because first -2 is
outside of the absolute value sign.
 Absolute Values IV

What is the value of the following expression?

2 3  4  (3) 5  2

A. 9
B. -9
C. 18
D. -18
E. -6
 Solution

Answer: D
Justification: Compute all the calculations inside absolute
value signs as you would with brackets.
2 3  4  (3) 5  2  2 1  (3) 3
Evaluate the absolute values and simplify:
2 3  4  (3) 5  2  2  1  (3) 3
 2(1)  (3)(3)
 2  (9)
 18
 Absolute Values V

Let x be a real number. Which one A.

of the following is the correct
definition of the absolute value of x?
B.

C.

D.

E.
 Solution

Answer: A
Justification: The definition A states that if the value of x is
zero or positive, we leave the value unchanged. If the value
of x is negative, we must multiply x by -1 in order to make its
value positive. No matter what the value of x, we are returned
the positive value for x by the piecewise function.
Definition D is very close to the answer, although it does not
define a value for x = 0. The value of x when x = 0 can be
either x or -x.
 Absolute Values VI

What is the correct piecewise

definition for  2 x  9 ? A.

B.

C.

D.

E.
 Solution

Answer: C
Justification: Definition of absolute value:

Substituting  2 x  9 into the definition for x gives:

Re-write the subdomains with x isolated on one side of the

inequalities: Remember to change the
sign of the inequality when
dividing by -2
 Absolute Values VII

Solve the following equation:

4 x  1  100

A. x   24
B. x   26
C. x  24, 26
D. x  24,  26
E. x  24, 26
 Solution

Answer: D
Justification: First simplify the equation so that the absolute
value is isolated:
4 x  1  100
x  1  25

Use the definition of the absolute value to break the equation into
two separate equations. The LHS will equal 25 if the expression
inside the absolute value is either 25 or -25:
x  1  25 or x  1  25
x  24 x  26
 Absolute Values VIII

Which one of the following is equivalent to ( x  3)( x  1) in

piecewise notation?

( x  3)( x 1) 
A. B.

C. D.

E. None of the above

 Solution

Answer: C
Justification: The expression ( x  3)( x  1) is zero at the
points -3 and 1. Pick test values between these intervals to
determine where the expression inside the absolute value is
positive or negative:

+ - +
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
For example, choosing -1 as the test point for the interval -3 < x < 1
shows that the expression is negative since
(1)  3(1) 1  0
This means that (x+3)(x-1) is negative for -3 < x < 1.
Answer continues on the next slide
 Solution Cont’d

Answer: C
Justification: + - +
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

Where the expression inside the absolute value is negative, we

must multiply by -1. Where the expression is positive, we leave the
same:

(Note: The above expression is a quadratic polynomial that opens

upwards, which means the middle region in between the roots
must be negative, while the outer regions are positive)
 Absolute Values IX

Which number line best represents the following inequality?

x 5
A. B.

-10 -5 0 5 10 -10 -5 0 5 10

C. D.

-10 -5 0 5 10 -10 -5 0 5 10

E.

-10 -5 0 5 10
 Solution

Answer: C
Justification: Inequalities involving absolute values can be
thought of as the distances from the origin. x  5 , and can be
interpreted as all distances less than 5 from the origin:

5 5 Open circles denote that

C.
the points 5 and -5 are not
-10 -5 0 5 10 included

Inequalities involving absolute values can be rewritten without

absolute values as shown:
x  a  a  x  a
 Absolute Values X

Which number line best represents the following inequality?

x 5

A. B.

-10 -5 0 5 10 -10 -5 0 5 10

C. D.

-10 -5 0 5 10 -10 -5 0 5 10

E.

-10 -5 0 5 10
 Solution

Answer: B
Justification: Unlike the previous question, the inequality now
involves a greater than or equal to sign. We want distances from
the origin that are 5 units or greater.
5 5
B.
Closed / filled circles
include the points 5 and -5
-10 -5 0 5 10

Inequalities involving absolute values can be rewritten without

absolute values as shown:

x  a  x  a or xa
 Absolute Values XI

Which of the following inequalities best represents the following

number line?

-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15

A. x  5  15
B. x  5  15
C. x  5  10
D. x  5  10
E. x5  5
 Solution

Answer: C
Justification: The line represents the inequality: x  15 or x5

-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15

One way to determine which inequality matches this number line is

to convert all the multiple choice options into inequalities without
absolute values.
C. x  5  10
Both the positive case and negative
x  5  10 or x  5  10 case match the number line
x  5 or x  15
Note that if the positive case does not match the number line, it is
not necessary to check the negative case of the inequality.
 Absolute Values XII

Which one of the following properties shown below is true?

A.  p  p  p
B.  p  p  p Press for hint
C.  p  p  p
Consider cases when p is positive
D.  p  p  p and when p is negative. Try
E.  p  p  p substituting some values for p.
 Solution

Answer: D  p  p p
Justification: Case 1: p  0 Case 2: p  0
Let p = 5. In this case, Let p = -2. In this case,
 5 5 5   2  2   2
5  5  5  2  2  2

This shows it is possible for p This shows it is possible p to

to be equal to p , but greater be equal to  p , but greater
than  p . than p .

Combine the results from both cases to show that  p  p  p

for any value of p. Note, if p  0, then  p  p  p .
 Absolute Values XIII

Which one of the following properties shown below is true?

A. pq  p  q
B. pq  p  q Press for hint
C. pq  p  q
Try substituting a positive value
D. pq  p  q for p and a negative value for q.
E. pq  p  q Compare the right-hand side with
the left-hand side.
 Solution

Answer: E pq  p  q
Justification: Case 1: Imagine that both p and q are positive. The
absolute value will have no effect on either the RHS or LHS.
23  2  3
5  23
55
Since the property must cover the equality case, options B and D
are false.
Case 2: Imagine that p > 0 and q < 0. Notice the RHS will always
be greater than p or q, while the LHS is reduced.
43  4  3
1 7 Answer continues on the next slide
 Solution Cont’d

Answer: E pq  p  q
Justification: Case 3: Both p and q are negative. This case is
similar to case 1 where p and q are positive:
23  2  3
5  23
55
Combining the results of the 3 cases can be generalized to:
pq  p  q

Bonus: Try verifying that:

pq  p  q