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Solution - Absolute value equations

Exact form: z=-15
z=-\frac{1}{5}
Decimal form: z=0.2
z=-0.2

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
|5z+3|=5|z+1|
without the absolute value bars:

|x|=|y||5z+3|=5|z+1|
x=+y(5z+3)=5(z+1)
x=y(5z+3)=5((z+1))
+x=y(5z+3)=5(z+1)
x=y(5z+3)=5(z+1)

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||5z+3|=5|z+1|
x=+y , +x=y(5z+3)=5(z+1)
x=y , x=y(5z+3)=5((z+1))

2. Solve the two equations for z

15 additional steps

(-5z+3)=5·(z+1)

Expand the parentheses:

(-5z+3)=5z+5·1

Simplify the arithmetic:

(-5z+3)=5z+5

Subtract from both sides:

(-5z+3)-5z=(5z+5)-5z

Group like terms:

(-5z-5z)+3=(5z+5)-5z

Simplify the arithmetic:

-10z+3=(5z+5)-5z

Group like terms:

-10z+3=(5z-5z)+5

Simplify the arithmetic:

10z+3=5

Subtract from both sides:

(-10z+3)-3=5-3

Simplify the arithmetic:

10z=53

Simplify the arithmetic:

10z=2

Divide both sides by :

(-10z)-10=2-10

Cancel out the negatives:

10z10=2-10

Simplify the fraction:

z=2-10

Move the negative sign from the denominator to the numerator:

z=-210

Find the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator:

z=(-1·2)(5·2)

Factor out and cancel the greatest common factor:

z=-15

10 additional steps

(-5z+3)=5·(-(z+1))

Expand the parentheses:

(-5z+3)=5·(-z-1)

(-5z+3)=5·-z+5·-1

Group like terms:

(-5z+3)=(5·-1)z+5·-1

Multiply the coefficients:

(-5z+3)=-5z+5·-1

Simplify the arithmetic:

(-5z+3)=-5z-5

Add to both sides:

(-5z+3)+5z=(-5z-5)+5z

Group like terms:

(-5z+5z)+3=(-5z-5)+5z

Simplify the arithmetic:

3=(-5z-5)+5z

Group like terms:

3=(-5z+5z)-5

Simplify the arithmetic:

3=5

The statement is false:

3=5

The equation is false so it has no solution.

3. List the solutions

z=-15
(1 solution(s))

4. Graph

Each line represents the function of one side of the equation:
y=|5z+3|
y=5|z+1|
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.