How Do You Solve Inequalities With Absolute Values?
Algebra problems that combine absolute values and inequalities may seem like a double shot of yuck! to the math-phobic. However, appearances are deceiving, and these math problems are much easier to solve than you might think. This type of math equation is first encountered in middle school, and frequently appears on the ACT, SAT, GRE, and GMAT exams. If you need a step-by-step guide to solving absolute value inequalities–with examples–read below. Know that when you solve absolute values with inequalities, you are actually solving for a range of values of x. The range can either be a finite interval (as we shall see in the first example), or the range can be split into two pieces along the the number line (as in the second example). Start by converting the problem into two regular inequality equations. Click the image to see the example. (We can’t publish articles with ‘funny’ symbols in the text.) The first equation you make by simply stripping the problem of the the absolute value
