Aklan State University

College of Teacher Education

Graduate Studies

Math 101
Algebra and Trigonometry

Aira Joyce N. Cuaterno Ma. Lourdes I. Ilarde

MAEd-Mathematics Course Professor

EQUATION AND INEQUALITIES INVOLVING ABSOLUTE VALUE

Absolute Value measures the distance of a number from 0 on the number line.

I. ABSOLUTE VALUE EQUATION

 The solution set to the equation

|x| = 5
is {-5,5} because both 5 and -5 are 5 units from 0 on the number line. So |x| = 5 is equivalent to
the equations
x = 5 or x = -5.

 The equation |x| = 0 is equivalent to the equation x = 0 because 0 is the only number whose
distance from 0 is zero. The solution set to |x| = 0 is {0}.

 The equation |x| = -7 is inconsistent because absolute value measures distance, and distance
is never negative. So the solution set is empty.

These ideas are summarized as follows:

BASIC ABSOLUTE VALUE EQUATIONS
Absolute Value Equation Equivalent Equation Solution Set
|x| = k (k > 0) x = k or x = -k {k, -k}
|x| = 0 x=0 {0}
|x| = k (k < 0) ∅
We can use these ideas to solve more complicated absolute value equations.

Example 1. Absolute value equal to a positive number

Solve each equation.
a. |x – 7| = 2 b. |3x – 5| = 7
Solution:
a. First rewrite |x – 7| = 2 without absolute value:
x–7=2 or x – 7 = -2 (equivalent equation)
x=9 or x=5
The solution set is {5, 9}. The distance from 5 to 7 or from 9 to 7 is 2 units.
a. First rewrite |3x – 5| = 7 without absolute value:
3x – 5 = 7 or 3x – 5 = -7 Equivalent equation
3x = 12 or 3x = -2
𝟐
x=4 or x=-𝟑
𝟐
The solution set is {− 𝟑 , 𝟒}.

Math 101 – Algebra and Trigonometry. Equation and Inequalities Involving Absolute Value | Page 1 of 5
 Example 2. Absolute value equal to zero
Solve |2(x – 6) + 7| = 0.
Solution:
Since 0 is the only number whose absolute value is 0, the expression within the absolute value bars
must be 0.
2(x – 6) + 7 = 0 Equivalent equation
2x – 12 + 7 = 0
2x – 5 = 0
2x = 5
𝟓
x=𝟐
𝟓
The solution set is {𝟐}.

Example 3. Absolute value equal to a negative number

Solve -5|3x – 7| + 4 = 14.
Solution:
First subtract 4 from each side to isolate the absolute value expression:
-5|3x – 7| + 4 = 14 Original equation
-5|3x – 7| = 10 Subtract 4 from each side
|3x – 7| = -2 Divide each side by -5
There is no solution because no number has a negative absolute value.

Example 4. Absolute value on both sides

Solve |2x – 1| = |x + 3|.
Solution:
Two quantities have the same absolute value only if they are equal or opposites. So we can write
an equivalent compound equation:
2x – 1 = x + 3 or 2x – 1 = -(x + 3)
x–1=3 or 2x – 1 = -x – 3
x=4 or 3x = -2
𝟐
x=4 or x=-𝟑
2 𝟐
Check that both 4 and - 3 satisfy the original equation. The solution set is {− 𝟑 , 𝟒}.

II. ABSOLUTE VALUE INEQUALITIES

 Since absolute value measures distance from 0 on the number line, |x|> 5 indicates that x is
more than five units from 0. Any number on the number line to the right of 5 or to the left of -5 is
more than five units from 0. So |x|> 5 is equivalent to
x>5 or x < -5
The solution set to this inequality is the union of the solution sets to the two simple inequalities.
The solution set is (-∞, -5) ∪ (5, ∞). The graph of |x|> 5 is shown below.

 The inequality |x| ≤ 3 indicates that x is less than or equal to three units from 0. Any number
between -3 and 3 inclusive satisfies that condition. So |x| ≤ 3 is equivalent to
-3 ≤ x ≤ 3.
The graph of |x| ≤ 3 is shown below.

Math 101 – Algebra and Trigonometry. Equation and Inequalities Involving Absolute Value | Page 2 of 5
 This table illustrate the basic types of absolute value inequalities:
BASIC ABSOLUTE VALUE INEQUALITIES (k > 0)
Absolute Value
Equivalent Equation Solution Set Graph of Solution Set
Equation
|x|> k x > k or x < -k (-∞, -k) ∪ (k, ∞)

|x|≥ k x ≥ k or x ≤ -k (-∞, -k] ∪ [k, ∞)

|x|< k -k < x < k (-k, k)

|x|≤ k -k ≤ x ≤ k [-k, k)

We can solve more complicated inequalities in the same manner as simple ones.

Example 5. Absolute value inequality

Solve |x – 9|< 2 and graph the solution set.
Solution:
Because |x|< k is equivalent to -k < x < k, we can rewrite |x – 9|< 2 as follows:
-2 < x – 9 < 2
-2 + 9 < x – 9 + 9 < 2 + 9 Add 9 to each part of the inequality
7 < x < 11
The graph of the solution set (7, 11) is shown below. Note that the graph consists of all real numbers
that are within two units of 9.

Example 6. Absolute value inequality

Solve |3x + 5|> 2 and graph the solution set.
Solution:
3x + 5 > 2 or 3x + 5 < -2 Equivalent compound inequality
3x > -3 or 3x < -7
𝟕
x > -1 or x < −𝟑
𝟕
The solution set is (-∞,− 𝟑) ∪ (-1, ∞), and its graph is shown below.

Example 7. Absolute value inequality

Solve |5 – 3x|≤ 6 and graph the solution set.
Solution:
-6 ≤ 5 – 3x ≤ 6 Equivalent inequality
-11 ≤ -3x ≤ 1 Subtract 5 from each part
11 1
3
≥x≥− 3 Divide by -3 and reverse each inequality symbol
1 11 1 11
− 3
≤x≤ 3 Write −
3
on the left because it is smaller than
3
1 11
The solution set is [− 3 , 3 ] and its graph is shown below.

 There are few absolute value inequalities that do not fit the preceding categories. They are
easy to solve using the definition of absolute value.

Example 8. Special case

Solve 3 +|7 – 2x|≥ 3
Solution:
Subtract 3 from each side to isolate the absolute value expression.
|7 – 2x|≥ 0
Because the absolute value of any real number is greater than of equal to 0, the solution set is ℝ,
the set of all real numbers.
Math 101 – Algebra and Trigonometry. Equation and Inequalities Involving Absolute Value | Page 3 of 5
 Example 9. An impossible case
Solve |5x – 12| < -2.
Solution:
We write an equivalent inequality only when the value of k is positive. With -2 on the right-hand
side, we do not write an equivalent inequality. Since the absolute value of any quantity is greater
than or equal to 0, no value of x can make this absolute value less than -2. The solution set is ∅, the
empty set.

III. APPLICATIONS

 A simple example will show how absolute value inequalities can be used in applications.

Example 10. Controlling water temperature

The water temperature in a certain manufacturing process must be kept at 143°F. The computer is
programmed to shut down the process if the water temperature is more than 7° away from what it
is supposed to be. For what temperature readings is the process shut down?
Solution:
If we let x represent the water temperature, then x – 143 represents the difference between the
actual temperature and the desired temperature. The quantity x – 143 could be positive or
negative. The process is shut down if the absolute value of x – 143 is greater than 7.
|x – 143|> 7
x – 143 > 7 or x – 143 < 7
x > 150 or x < 136
The process is shut down for temperatures greater than 150°F or less than 136°F.

IV. EXERCISES
A. Solve each absolute value equation.
1. |a|= 5
2. |x|= 2
3. |x – 5|= 2
4. |3 – x|= 6
2
5. |3 𝑥 – 8|= 0
B. Solve each absolute value inequality and graph the solution set.
1. |x|> 6
2. |2a|< 6
3. |x – 2|≥ 3
1
4. 5|2x – 4|< 1
5. 2|5 – 2x|- 15 ≥ 5
C. The daily production P in an automobile assembly plant is within 20 units of 500 units. Express the
daily production as an absolute value inequality.

ANSWER KEY:
A. Solve each absolute value equation.
1. |a|= 5
a = 5 or a = -5
2. |x|= 2
x = 2 or x = -2
3. |x – 5|= 2
x – 5 =2 x – 5 = -2
x = 2+5 x = -2+5
x=7 x=3
4. |3 – x|= 6
3–x=6 3 – x = -6
-x = 6-3 -x = -6-3
-x = 3 -x = -9
x = -3 x=9
2
5. | 𝑥 – 8|= 0
3
2
3
𝑥 –8=0
2
3
𝑥 =8
x = 12

Math 101 – Algebra and Trigonometry. Equation and Inequalities Involving Absolute Value | Page 4 of 5
B. Solve each absolute value inequality and graph the solution set.
1. |x|> 6
x > 6 or x < -6
2. |2a|< 6
2a < 6 2a > -6
a<3 a > -3
3. |x – 2|≥ 3
-3 ≥ x – 2 ≥ 3
-1 ≥ x ≥ 5
1
4. |2x – 4|< 1
5
|2x – 4|< 5
2x – 4 < 5 2x – 4 > -5
2x < 9 2x > -1
9 1
x<2 x > −2
5. 2|5 – 2x|- 15 ≥ 5
2|5 – 2x|≥ 20
|5 – 2x|≥ 10
-10 ≥ 5 – 2x ≥ 10
-15 ≥ -2x ≥ 5
15 5
2
≥ x ≥ −2
C. The daily production P in an automobile assembly plant is within 20 units of 500 units. Express the
daily production as an absolute value inequality.
|500 – P| ≤ 20
-20 ≤ 500 – P ≤ 20
-520 ≤ – P ≤ -480
520 ≤ P ≤ 480

Math 101 – Algebra and Trigonometry. Equation and Inequalities Involving Absolute Value | Page 5 of 5