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Solution - Absolute value equations

Exact form: x=6,6
x=6 , 6

Other Ways to Solve

Absolute value equations

Step-by-step explanation

1. Rewrite the equation with one absolute value terms on each side

|x+6|+|x6|=0

Add |x6| to both sides of the equation:

|x+6|+|x6||x6|=|x6|

Simplify the arithmetic

|x+6|=|x6|

2. 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
|x+6|=|x6|
without the absolute value bars:

|x|=|y||x+6|=|x6|
x=+y(x+6)=(x6)
x=y(x+6)=(x6)
+x=y(x+6)=(x6)
x=y(x+6)=(x6)

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||x+6|=|x6|
x=+y , +x=y(x+6)=(x6)
x=y , x=y(x+6)=(x6)

3. Solve the two equations for x

5 additional steps

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

Expand the parentheses:

(-x+6)=-x+6

Add to both sides:

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

Group like terms:

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

Simplify the arithmetic:

6=(-x+6)+x

Group like terms:

6=(-x+x)+6

Simplify the arithmetic:

6=6

14 additional steps

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

NT_MSLUS_MAINSTEP_RESOLVE_DOUBLE_MINUS:

(-x+6)=x-6

Subtract from both sides:

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

Group like terms:

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

Simplify the arithmetic:

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

Group like terms:

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

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x+6=6

Subtract from both sides:

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

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x=66

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x=12

Divide both sides by :

(-2x)-2=-12-2

Cancel out the negatives:

2x2=-12-2

Simplify the fraction:

x=-12-2

Cancel out the negatives:

x=122

Find the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator:

x=(6·2)(1·2)

Factor out and cancel the greatest common factor:

x=6

4. List the solutions

x=6,6
(2 solution(s))

5. Graph

Each line represents the function of one side of the equation:
y=|x+6|
y=|x6|
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.