MATHEMATICS 1 DM015

CHAPTER 3
Face-to-Face Hour:
7 Hours
Topic:
3. INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

Sub-Topic:
3.2 Absolute Values

Learning Outcomes:
(a) Define absolute values,
 a, a  0
a 
  a, a  0
(b) State and use the properties of absolute values:
(c) a  0 ;
(d)  a  a ;
(e) a  b  b  a ;
(f) a  b  b  a ;
(g) ab  a b ;
a a
(h)  where b  0 .
b b
(i) Define x  a and solve linear equation.
(j) Define x  a , x  a , x  a and x  a and solve linear inequalities.
#Restricted to only single absolute expression.

DEFINITION

What is absolute values?

 The distance a number is from zero on a number line.

 It is always positive.

Negative Positive
(Smaller) (Bigger)
(

“Negative five” “Five”

is five units away from zero. is five units away from zero.

Absolute value is shown using this bars

5
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 MATHEMATICS 1 DM015
CHAPTER 3

5 is read as “the absolute values of five”. 5  5

5 is read as “the absolute values of negative five”. 5  5

How do you read 6 ?

Try this!
a) 12 b) 12 c)  12 d)  12

Compare. Use  ,  , or  .
a) 4 5 b) 17 17 c) 29 29 d) 58 59 e) 30 28

f) 7 0 g) 86 68 h) 14 14 i) 156 165 j) 3 3

PROPERTIES OF ABSOLUTE VALUES

Properties of Absolute Values Example

a 0 3 ,0 

a  a 3 =

ab  ba 35  =

a b  ba 35  =

ab  a b 3 5  =

a a 3
 where b  0 .  =
b b 5

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CHAPTER 3
EXERCISE:

Solve the following absolute values:

a) 2  7 f)   8    6  j) 8  9  12   8 

b) 7  3 10 8  7  4
g) k)
5 6  10  5  6
c) 3  9
h) 40   5 2  4 2
d)  7   3 l)
 1 1
 2
3
i)
e)  2  10

DEFINE x  a AND SOLVE LINEAR EQUATION.

 The absolute value of x , written x , can also be defined as

 x ,x 0
x  or x  x2
 x , x  0

 To solve equation such as ax  b  c , we can use

a) basic definition
b) squaring both sides

EXAMPLE
Solve the equation x  4 .
By basic definition, By squaring both sides,

EXAMPLE
Solve the equation x  1  7 .
By basic definition, By squaring both sides,

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CHAPTER 3
EXAMPLE
Solve the equation 4 x  2  24 .
By basic definition, By squaring both sides,

EXAMPLE
x2
Solve the equation  1.
3
By basic definition, By squaring both sides,

EXERCISE

1. Solve each of the following equations using definition.

a) n  5 b) 3  x  6 c) x4 3 d) 7  x  5  11
e) 2 x  1  5 f) 7 3  3r  21 g) 4 x  2  2 h) 4 2 x  3  1
2 7x x7 3 2
i) 5 j) 4 k) 6 l) 5
3 3 x2 x 1

2. Solve each of the following equations by squaring both sides.

x
a) 6m  42 b) 7 c) 2 3x  1  8 d) 7  2 x  2
3
e) x  4  14 f) 10  3x  4 g) 3  6n  7  40 h) 3  5 8  2 x  63
x 4b  10 2 7x  3
i)  8  7 j) 3 k)  12 l)   4
7 8 x 3 2

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 MATHEMATICS 1 DM015
CHAPTER 3

DEFINE x  a , x  a , x  a AND x  a AND SOLVE LINEAR INEQUALITIES.

Basic Definition of Absolute Value Inequalities

 x  a  x  a and x  a  a  x  a
e.g. x  4

 x : 4  x  4
 x  a  x  a and x  a  a  x  a
e.g. x  4

 x : 4  x  4
 x  a  x  a or x  a
e.g x  4

 x : x  4 or x  4
 x  a  x  a and x  a
e.g x  4

 x : x  4 or x  4

EXAMPLE

By using basic absolute value inequalities, solve the following problems.

a) x  5  3 b) 9  3x  3 c) 5 x  6  9 d) x  5  7

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CHAPTER 3

To solve inequalities involving absolute, we can use

 the definition of absolute value inequalities, or
 squaring both sides

Question By using definition By Squaring both sides

a) 3x  1  8

b) 2 x  3  7

EXERCISE

1. Solve each of the following inequalities using definition.

5 3
a) x  5 b) x  c) x 3 d) x 
2 2
e) x  4 1 f) 4x 1  2 g) x  5  3 h) 2 x  3  5
7 2 3
i)  3  3 j) 1  3x 1  k) 3  x  1  l) 9 x  8  10  55
2x 9 2

2. Solve each of the following inequalities by squaring both sides.

a) x  1  7 b) 3x  4  2 c) x 3  6 d) 2 x  1  5
x x 7
e) 2 x  1  9 f) 6  2x  4 g) 1   6 h) 3  
2 4 6
3 r
i) 3  4 2  x j) 2 10b  7  1  73 k) 3  4 3x  7  89 l) 5
7

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CHAPTER 3

BRAIN BOOSTERS!

1. If y   3x  4  x  4   11 ,

a) find the values of x when y  0 .

b) solve the inequality y  16 .

c) find the solution set for y  4  4 .

2. Express x 2  6 x  27  0 in the form of x  a  b . Solve this inequality.

10 11
3. Given that x  k  . Find k if the solution set is   , 3   ,   .
3 3
4. By completing the square, express x 2  3x  c  0 in the form of x  a  b , where a , b and

c are constants. Hence, find the interval of x such that x 2  3x  2 is always greater than 6.

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