document.write( "Question 93529: How do you work these problems? I have no Idea where to start! Help!\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Solve and graph the solution:\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "-12 is greater than or equal to 24x
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Algebra.Com's Answer #68110 by bucky(2189)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
In equation form you are given:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"-12%3E=24x\"
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\n" ); document.write( "You can pretty much work these using the same procedures that you would to solve an equation.
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\n" ); document.write( "However, there is an exception. This exception is that in solving for x if you ever have to
\n" ); document.write( "MULTIPLY or DIVIDE both sides by a NEGATIVE quantity, then you also have to reverse the
\n" ); document.write( "direction of the inequality sign.
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\n" ); document.write( "Let's work this problem.
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\n" ); document.write( "If this were an equation, you would solve for x by dividing both sides by 24 because 24
\n" ); document.write( "is the multiplier of x. So let's divide both sides by +24 to get:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"-12%2F24%3E=%2824x%29%2F24\"
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\n" ); document.write( "Notice that on the left side if you divide both the numerator and denominator by 12 you are
\n" ); document.write( "left with \"-1%2F2\" and on the right side the 24 in the numerator cancels with the 24
\n" ); document.write( "in the denominator. Therefore, all you are left with is:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"-1%2F2%3E=x\"
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\n" ); document.write( "That's the answer. Now, what does it mean? It says that \"-1%2F2\" is greater than or equal
\n" ); document.write( "to x. (Remember that the inequality sign always points to the smaller quantity.)
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\n" ); document.write( "This also means the same as x is less than or equal to \"-1%2F2\". For the purposes of
\n" ); document.write( "graphing this answer, you can draw a number line. Then put a dot at the point \"-1%2F2\".
\n" ); document.write( "x can have that value. x can also be less than that number. That means that x can be any
\n" ); document.write( "value to the left of the point at \"-1%2F2\". So you make the number line to the left of the
\n" ); document.write( "point \"-1%2F2\" a very heavy line to indicate that x can be on that part of the line.
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\n" ); document.write( "Hopefully this makes some sense to you. In solving this problem we didn't have to multiply
\n" ); document.write( "or divide both sides by a negative number, so we didn't need to use the rule about
\n" ); document.write( "changing the direction of the inequality sign. It just stayed the same direction
\n" ); document.write( "throughout all our work.
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\n" ); document.write( "Remember the goal is to solve inequalities for +x. If you have a problem that you can solve
\n" ); document.write( "for -x, then do so. But at the very end of the problem you will need to multiply the -x by
\n" ); document.write( "-1 to change it to +x. And when you multiply one side by -1 you must also multiply the
\n" ); document.write( "other side by -1 ... and that means that you also need to reverse the direction of the
\n" ); document.write( "inequality sign because you multiplied both sides by a minus number.
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