1.8: SOLVING ABSOLUTE VALUE EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES ABUJIYA, M.R.

1.8: SOLVING ABSOLUTE VALUE EQUATIONS

AND INEQUALITIES

Section Outline:
▪ Absolute value equations ▪ Absolute value inequalities ▪ Special cases inequalities
▪ Absolute value model for distance

I. Absolute Value Equations

The absolute value of a number a is defined in section P.2 as a   a . To solve absolute value
equations, we use the following properties:

Prosperities of Absolute Value Equations

If b  0 , then a b if and only if a  b or a  b
If b R , then a b if and only if a  b or a  b

Example 1: Solve each equation.

3
(a) 9  4x  7 (b) 2 2  6 (c) 2x  3  4  5x (d) x2  x
2x 1

(e) 3 x 2  x  18 5 1  x  6 x 1  8
2
(f)

II. Absolute Value Inequalities

Absolute value inequalities can be solved using the following properties:

Prosperities of Absolute Value Inequalities

If b  0 , then a b if and only if b  a  b
a b if and only if a  b or a  b

Example 2: Solve each inequality.

1 1 1 2 1
(a) 4x  6  10 (b) 5 x  3  15 (c) 1 4 (d) 4x   
2x  3 2 3 3 6

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1.8: SOLVING ABSOLUTE VALUE EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES ABUJIYA, M.R.

1
(e) 2  x  1  3 (f) 0  x  5 
2

III. Special Cases Inequalities

In the three of the above properties, the constant b is required to be positive. However, if b  0 ,
use the fact that a  0 and consider the truth of the statement. The following properties can serve
as a guide.

More Prosperities of Absolute Value Equations and Inequalities

If b  0 , a  b is undefined ; a  0 a  0
a  b is undefined ; a  0  no solution
a  b is undefined ; a  0 a  0
a  b is always TRUE ; a  0  a   ,  
a  b is always TRUE ; a  0  a   , 0    0,  

Example 3: Solve each equation or inequality.

(a) 3x  7  1   2 (b) 2 8  4 x   2 (c) 28  7 x  0 (d) 2x  1  0

x4
(e) 3 3x  2  2  2 (f) 0
3x  1

IV. Absolute Value Model for Distance

Absolute value equations or inequalities can be used to express distances. Recall in section P.2, we
define the distance between two numbers a and b, on a real number line to be
a b or b a

Example 4: Use the absolute value to describe the given statement.

(a) all real number x less than 3 units from 2.

(b) all real number x more than 2 units from 5.
(c) all real number x at least 5 units from 7.
(d) all real number x at most 4 units from 2.

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1.8: SOLVING ABSOLUTE VALUE EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES ABUJIYA, M.R.

___________ Exercises ___________

1. Determine the solution set of each equation.

(a)  x  x (b) x  x (c)  x  9

2. If 2 x  7  3 is equivalent to a  3x  2  b . Find the value of a  b

3. Solve the absolute value inequality x 4  2x 2  1  0

4. Solve the absolute value inequality x  1  3 x  2

5. Find the solution set of absolute value equation 4x 2  23x  6  0

Find the number of solutions of the equation 2 x  1  5 2 x  1  4 1  2 x  0

3 2
6.

1 5
7. Solve the absolute value equation 8  5 x  33 .
3 6

3
8. Solve the absolute value inequality  5  3.
2x  7

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