SOLUTION: I am getting ready for an upcoming elementary algebra course next month. I decided to get a head start and went and bought a used book. OK, my question is I understand that an abso

Question 1159328: I am getting ready for an upcoming elementary algebra course next month. I decided to get a head start and went and bought a used book. OK, my question is I understand that an absolute value is always positive, so what is this -|-6| = -(6) = -6. and it says in a note right below that problem -6 does not contradict the fact that the absolute value of a real number cannot be negative. So I have no idea it seems to like the book is telling me that a negative number is ok for absolute value. Thanks for your help
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

|-6| simplifies to 6

In other words, |-6| = 6

Tack on a negative out front, or to the left and we have
|-6| = 6
turn into
-|-6| = -6

This is the same as multiplying both sides by -1
|-6| = 6
-1*|-6| = -1*6
-|-6| = -6

It's honestly easy to get lost in problems like this because of the number of negative signs. It's helpful to try to break down any problem you come across into the smallest pieces possible, then work from there. I find it's best to start with what you know and build from that one step at a time.

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