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Solution - Absolute value equations

Exact form: x=4,0
x=-4 , 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
|4x4|=|6x+4|
without the absolute value bars:

|x|=|y||4x4|=|6x+4|
x=+y(4x4)=(6x+4)
x=y(4x4)=(6x+4)
+x=y(4x4)=(6x+4)
x=y(4x4)=(6x+4)

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||4x4|=|6x+4|
x=+y , +x=y(4x4)=(6x+4)
x=y , x=y(4x4)=(6x+4)

2. Solve the two equations for x

13 additional steps

(4x-4)=(6x+4)

Subtract from both sides:

(4x-4)-6x=(6x+4)-6x

Group like terms:

(4x-6x)-4=(6x+4)-6x

Simplify the arithmetic:

-2x-4=(6x+4)-6x

Group like terms:

-2x-4=(6x-6x)+4

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x4=4

Add to both sides:

(-2x-4)+4=4+4

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x=4+4

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x=8

Divide both sides by :

(-2x)-2=8-2

Cancel out the negatives:

2x2=8-2

Simplify the fraction:

x=8-2

Move the negative sign from the denominator to the numerator:

x=-82

Find the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator:

x=(-4·2)(1·2)

Factor out and cancel the greatest common factor:

x=4

9 additional steps

(4x-4)=-(6x+4)

Expand the parentheses:

(4x-4)=-6x-4

Add to both sides:

(4x-4)+6x=(-6x-4)+6x

Group like terms:

(4x+6x)-4=(-6x-4)+6x

Simplify the arithmetic:

10x-4=(-6x-4)+6x

Group like terms:

10x-4=(-6x+6x)-4

Simplify the arithmetic:

10x4=4

Add to both sides:

(10x-4)+4=-4+4

Simplify the arithmetic:

10x=4+4

Simplify the arithmetic:

10x=0

Divide both sides by the coefficient:

x=0

3. List the solutions

x=4,0
(2 solution(s))

4. Graph

Each line represents the function of one side of the equation:
y=|4x4|
y=|6x+4|
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.