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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

|x6|+|x+6|=0

Add |x+6| to both sides of the equation:

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

Simplify the arithmetic

|x6|=|x+6|

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

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

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

3. Solve the two equations for x

5 additional steps

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

Expand the parentheses:

(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:

-6=(x-6)-x

Group like terms:

-6=(x-x)-6

Simplify the arithmetic:

6=6

12 additional steps

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

NT_MSLUS_MAINSTEP_RESOLVE_DOUBLE_MINUS:

(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:

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

Group like terms:

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

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x6=6

Add to both sides:

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

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x=6+6

Simplify the arithmetic:

2x=12

Divide both sides by :

(2x)2=122

Simplify the fraction:

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=|x6|
y=|x+6|
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.