SOLUTION: MANUFACTURING A hardware store sells bags of rock salt that are labeled as weighing 35 pounds. The equipment used to package the salt produces bags with a weight that is within 8 o

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Question 1208191: MANUFACTURING A hardware store sells bags of rock salt that are labeled as weighing 35 pounds. The equipment used to package the salt produces bags with a weight that is within 8 ounces of the label weight.

Write an absolute value equation to determine the maximum and minimum weights for the bag of rock salt. Let x represent the weight of the bag, in pounds.

Answer by ikleyn(52792) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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MANUFACTURING A hardware store sells bags of rock salt that are labeled as weighing 35 pounds.
The equipment used to package the salt produces bags with a weight that is within 8 ounces of the label weight.

Write an absolute value equation to determine the maximum and minimum weights
for the bag of rock salt. Let x represent the weight of the bag, in pounds.
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        The question in the problem is posed  INCORRECTLY.

        The correct question should ask about an absolute value  INEQUALITY - - - not about an absolute value equation.


8 ounces = 0.5 of a pound.


An absolute value inequality for this problem is

    |x - 35| <= 0.5.    


It is the  ANSWER  to the first question. 



This absolute value inequality is equivalent to this compounded inequality

    -0.5 <= x - 35 <= 0.5


Add 35 to all three terms of the inequality and get the solution

    34.5 <= x <= 35.5.


34.5 pounds and 35.5 pounds are the minimum and the maximum of the weight in a bag.


It is the  ANSWER  to the second question. 

Solved completely.


            This my solution is a standard mathematical mantra
                    to pronounce when solving such problems.

                Use it to solve million other similar problems.