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1.8 part 1 – Solving Absolute
Value Equations
Objective: TSW solve
absolute value equations.
Absolute Value Equations Almost
Always Give You 2 ANSWERS!
Absolute Value – the distance a number is from zero…for
example -3 and 3 are both 3 units from zero (2 possible
answers)
To solve absolute value equations:
1. Get absolute value section by itself.
***If the absolute value section of the equation equals a
negative…NO SOLUTION, which is the empty set
(shown by Ǿ)***
2. Set up 2 equations
3. Solve each equation (usually 2 answers)
4. CHECK SOLUTIONS as some may not work when
you plug them back into the original equations.
Extraneous Solution
• If you check your solutions and one of
them does not work when you plug it back
into the original equation, it is called an
extraneous solution.
• When we get an extraneous solution, we
disregard it and only use the one that
worked as our answer.
Examples: Solve Each Absolute
Value Equation.
1. │9 – 4x│= 7 2.
3. │3x – 5│+ 4 = 3
And Some More…
4. │x + 10│= 4x – 8 5. |3x + 2| = |x – 5|
6. |7x – 28| = 0
Last One…
7. |3x – 2| = |2 – 3x|
