Math Is Fun Forum

mathxyz

Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

Registered: 2024-02-24

Posts: 1,053

Absolute Value Notation

Rewrite each of the following statements using absolute value notation.

(a) The distance between 12 and 5 is 17.

| 12 - 5 | = 17

(b) The distance between xand 2 is 4.

| x - 2 | = 4

(c) The distance between x and 2 is less than 4.

| x - 2 | < 4

(d) The number t is more than five units from the origin.

| t | + 5

Is any of this right?

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,524

Re: Absolute Value Notation

a , b and c are correct.

d ) If you subtracted 5 from t the result would be positive.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

mathxyz

Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

Registered: 2024-02-24

Posts: 1,053

Re: Absolute Value Notation

a , b and c are correct.

d ) If you subtracted 5 from t the result would be positive.

Bob

A friend told me that the answer is | t | > 5.
How can this be?

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,524

Re: Absolute Value Notation

That looks OK to me. If t=5.1 , abs(t) > 5 and its certainly more than 5 from the origin.  If t = 4.9 it isn't.

Bob

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

mathxyz

Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

Registered: 2024-02-24

Posts: 1,053

Re: Absolute Value Notation

That looks OK to me. If t=5.1 , abs(t) > 5 and its certainly more than 5 from the origin.  If t = 4.9 it isn't.

Bob

Ok.