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Solution - Absolute value equations

Exact form: y=9,0
y=-9 , 0

Other Ways to Solve

Absolute value equations

Step-by-step explanation

1. Rewrite the equation without absolute value bars

Use the rules:
|x|=|y|x=±y and |x|=|y|±x=y
to write all four options of the equation
|2y9|=|4y+9|
without the absolute value bars:

|x|=|y||2y9|=|4y+9|
x=+y(2y9)=(4y+9)
x=y(2y9)=(4y+9)
+x=y(2y9)=(4y+9)
x=y(2y9)=(4y+9)

When simplified, equations x=+y and +x=y are the same and equations x=y and x=y are the same, so we end up with only 2 equations:

|x|=|y||2y9|=|4y+9|
x=+y , +x=y(2y9)=(4y+9)
x=y , x=y(2y9)=(4y+9)

2. Solve the two equations for y

13 additional steps

(2y-9)=(4y+9)

Subtract from both sides:

(2y-9)-4y=(4y+9)-4y

Group like terms:

(2y-4y)-9=(4y+9)-4y

Simplify the arithmetic:

-2y-9=(4y+9)-4y

Group like terms:

-2y-9=(4y-4y)+9

Simplify the arithmetic:

2y9=9

Add to both sides:

(-2y-9)+9=9+9

Simplify the arithmetic:

2y=9+9

Simplify the arithmetic:

2y=18

Divide both sides by :

(-2y)-2=18-2

Cancel out the negatives:

2y2=18-2

Simplify the fraction:

y=18-2

Move the negative sign from the denominator to the numerator:

y=-182

Find the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator:

y=(-9·2)(1·2)

Factor out and cancel the greatest common factor:

y=9

9 additional steps

(2y-9)=-(4y+9)

Expand the parentheses:

(2y-9)=-4y-9

Add to both sides:

(2y-9)+4y=(-4y-9)+4y

Group like terms:

(2y+4y)-9=(-4y-9)+4y

Simplify the arithmetic:

6y-9=(-4y-9)+4y

Group like terms:

6y-9=(-4y+4y)-9

Simplify the arithmetic:

6y9=9

Add to both sides:

(6y-9)+9=-9+9

Simplify the arithmetic:

6y=9+9

Simplify the arithmetic:

6y=0

Divide both sides by the coefficient:

y=0

3. List the solutions

y=9,0
(2 solution(s))

4. Graph

Each line represents the function of one side of the equation:
y=|2y9|
y=|4y+9|
The equation is true where the two lines cross.

Why learn this

We encounter absolute values almost daily. For example: If you walk 3 miles to school, do you also walk minus 3 miles when you go back home? The answer is no because distances use absolute value. The absolute value of the distance between home and school is 3 miles, there or back.
In short, absolute values help us deal with concepts like distance, ranges of possible values, and deviation from a set value.