1.

Solving Linear Equations - Absolute Value

When solving equations with absolute value we can end up with more than one
possible answer. This is because what is in the absolute value can be either nega-
tive or positive and we must account for both possibilities when solving equations.
This is illustrated in Example 1.

Example 1.

|x| = 7 Absolute value can be positive or negative

x = 7 or x = − 7 Our Solution

Notice that we have considered two possibilities, both the positive and negative.
Either way, the absolute value of our number will be positive 7.

When we have absolute values in our problem it is important to first isolate the
absolute value, then remove the absolute value by considering both the positive
and negative solutions. Notice in Examples 2 and 3, all the numbers outside of
the absolute value are moved to the other side first before we remove the absolute
value bars and consider both positive and negative solutions.

Example 2.

5 + |x| = 8 Notice absolute value is not alone

−5 −5 Subtract 5 from both sides
|x| = 3 Absolute value can be positive or negative
x = 3 or x = − 3 Our Solution

Example 3.

− 4|x| = − 20 Notice absolute value is not alone

−4 −4 Divide both sdies by − 4
|x| = 5 Absolute value can be positive or negative

1
 x = 5 or x = − 5 Our Solution

Notice we never combine what is inside the absolute value with what is outside
the absolute value. This is very important as it will often change the final result
to an incorrect solution. Example 4 requires two steps to iscolate the absolute
value. The idea is the same as a two-step equation, add or subtract, then multiply
or divide.

Example 4.

5|x| − 4 = 26 Notice the absolute value is not alone

+4 +4 Add 4 to both sides
5|x| = 30 Absolute value still not alone
5 5 Divide both sides by 5
|x| = 6 Absolute value can be positive or negative
x = 6 or x = − 6 Our Solution

Again we see the same process, get the absolute value alone first, then consider
the positive and negative solutions. Often the absolute value will have more than
just a variable in it. In this case we will have to solve the resulting equations
when we consider the positive and negative possibilities. This is shown in
Example 5.

Example 5.

|2x − 1| = 7 Absolute value can be positive or negative

2x − 1 = 7 or 2x − 1 = − 7 Two equations to solve

Now notice we have two equations to solve, each equation will give us a different
solution. Both equations solve like any other two-step equation.

2x − 1 = 7 2x − 1 = − 7
+1+1 +1 +1
2x = 8 or 2x = − 6
2 2 2 2
x=4 x=−3

2
Thus, from Example 5 we have two solutions, x = 4 or x = − 3.

Again, it is important to remember that the absolute value must be alone first
before we consider the positive and negative possibilities. This is illustrated in
Example 6.

Example 6.

2 − 4|2x + 3| = − 18

To get the absolute value alone we first need to get rid of the 2 by subtracting,
then divide by − 4. Notice we cannot combine the 2 and − 4 becuase they are
not like terms, the − 4 has the absolute value connected to it. Also notice we do
not distribute the − 4 into the absolute value. This is because the numbers out-
side cannot be combined with the numbers inside the absolute value. Thus we get
the absolute value alone in the following way:

2 − 4|2x + 3| = − 18 Notice absolute value is not alone

−2 −2 Subtract 2 from both sides
− 4|2x + 3| = − 20 Absolute value still not alone
−4 −4 Divide both sides by − 4
|2x + 3| = 5 Absoloute value can be positive or negative
2x + 3 = 5 or 2x + 3 = − 5 Two equations to solve

Now we just solve these two remaining equations to find our solutions.

2x + 3 = 5 2x + 3 = − 5
−3−3 −3 −3
2x = 2 or 2x = − 8
2 2 2 2
x=1 x=−4

We now have our two solutions, x = 1 and x = − 4.

As we are solving absolute value equations it is important to be aware of special

cases. Remember the result of an absolute value must always be positive. Notice

3
what happens in Example 7.

Example 7.

7 + |2x − 5| = 4 Notice absolute value is not alone

−7 −7 Subtract 7 from both sides
|2x − 5| = − 3 Result of absolute value is negative!

Notice the absolute value equals a negative number! This is impossible with abso-
lute value. When this occurs we say there is no solution or ∅.

One other type of absolute value problem is when two absolute values are equal to
eachother. We still will consider both the positive and negative result, the differ-
ence here will be that we will have to distribute a negative into the second abso-
lute value for the negative possibility.

Example 8.

|2x − 7| = |4x + 6| Absolute value can be positive or negative

2x − 7 = 4x + 6 or 2x − 7 = − (4x + 6) make second part of second equation negative

Notice the first equation is the positive possibility and has no significant differ-
ence other than the missing absolute value bars. The second equation considers
the negative possibility. For this reason we have a negative in front of the expres-
sion which will be distributed through the equation on the first step of solving. So
we solve both these equations as follows:

2x − 7 = − (4x + 6)
2x − 7 = 4x + 6
2x − 7 = − 4x − 6
− 2x − 2x
+ 4x + 4x
− 7 = 2x + 6
6x − 7 = − 6
−6 −6 or +7 +7
− 13 = 2x
6x = 1
2 2
6 6
− 13
=x 1
2 x=
6

− 13 1
This gives us our two solutions, x = 2
or x = 6 .

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

4
1.6

Practice - Absolute Value Equations

Solve each equation.

1) |m| = − 6 43) 3 − 2|5 − m| = 9

3) |n| = 4 45) | − 10x − 4| − 10 = 66

5) |b| = 7 47) |2 + 3x| = |4 − 2x|

   
|x|  2x − 5   3x + 4 
7) 7
=5 49)  3  =  2 

9) − 10 + |k| = − 15 2) |r| = − 4
11) 10|x| + 7 = 57 4) |x| = 6
13) 10 − 5|m| = 70 |v |
6) 3
=2
15) 9|x| − 4 = 5
|a|
 n 8) 9
=−4
17)  10  = 1
10) − 5 + |p| = 5
19) |v + 10| = 2
12) 10|n| − 10 = 70
21) − 4 − |a − 5| = − 13
14) − 6 − |r| = − 11
23) 10| − 6x| = 60
16) |4 + b| = 4
 n
25) − 7 7  = − 2
18) |x − 3| = 2
27) − 8| − 7 + p| − 6 = − 14
20) |9 − n| = 12
29) − 3|7 + x| − 7 = − 1
|9v |
22) 6
=1
31) | − 7 − 5r| = 32  x
24)  8  + 6 = 7
33) |8n − 6| = 66
 
 k
35) |2v + 7| = 11 26) 7 7  + 8 = 15

37) 9|10 + 6x| = 72 28) 2|n + 8| − 8 = 28

39) − 3 + |6 + 6k | = − 45 30) 7|m − 6| − 9 = − 72

41) |2n + 5| + 5 = 0 32) | − 3x − 5| = 14

5
34) |6 − 6b| = 30 44) − 1 + 9|8r − 4| = 35
| − n + 6|
36) 6
=0 46) |5x + 3| = |2x − 1|
38) |2 + 6a| − 9 = 29
48) |3x − 4| = |2x + 3|
40) |p + | + 5 = 17    
 4x − 2   6x + 3 
42) 2 + 3|6 + 5x| = 89 50)  5  =  2 

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

6
1.6

Answers to Absolute Value Equations

1) No solution. ∅ 19) { − 8, − 12} 1
37) { − 3 , − 3}
2) No solution. ∅ 20) { − 3, 21} 20
38) {6, − 3
}
3) {4, − 4} 21) {4, − 14}
2 2
22) { 3 , − 3 } 39) No solution. ∅
4) {6, − 6}
5) {7, − 7} 23) {1, − 1} 40) {7, − 17}

6) {6, − 6} 24) {8, − 8} 41) No solution. ∅

7) {35, − 35} 25) {2, − 2} 23
42) { 5 , − 7}
8) No solution. ∅ 26) {7, − 7}
27) {8, 6} 43) No solution. ∅
9) No solution. ∅
10) {10, − 10} 28) {10, − 26} 44) {1, 0}
29) No solution. ∅ 36
11) {5, − 5} 45) { − 8, }
5
30) No solution. ∅
12) {8, − 8} 4 2
31) { −
39
, 5} 46) { − 3 , − 7 }
5
13) No solution. ∅
19 2
14) {5, − 5} 32) { − 3
, 3} 47) { − 6, 5 }
15
15) {1, − 1} 33) {9, − } 1
2 48) {7, 5 }
16) {0, − 8} 34) { − 4, 6}
22 2
49) { − , − 13 }
17) {10, − 10} 35) {2, − 9} 5

19 19 11
18) {5, 1} 36) { − 3
, 3} 50) { − 22 , − 38 }

Beginning and Intermediate Algebra by Tyler Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)