SOLUTION: I need help with this problem, i dont know what |x+6|means i mean i know what the rest of the problum is but i dont know if it is like parenthases or somthing else well the whole p

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Question 52566: I need help with this problem, i dont know what |x+6|means i mean i know what the rest of the problum is but i dont know if it is like parenthases or somthing else well the whole problum is
|x+6|+8=4
the help would be most appreciated
thanks Pheobe
Answer by Nate(3500) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
When you have straight bars around that value, it is called absolute value.
It, in easier mathematical terms, is described by: sqrt%28%28x+%2B+6%29%5E2%29
That means that every value plugged for x gives you a positive number or zero.
Lets do an example:
|x + 1| = 2
sqrt%28%28x+%2B+1%29%5E2%29+=+2
%28x+%2B+1%29%5E2+=+4
x+%2B+1+=+2 and x+%2B+1+=+-2
x+=+1 and x+=+-3
graph%28300%2C300%2C-5%2C5%2C-5%2C5%2Csqrt%28%28x%2B1%29%5E2%29%2C2%29
Now, lets do your problem:
|x + 6| + 8 = 4
|x + 6| = -4 Remember, I said that absolute values gives you positive values or zero. There is no way it will give you negative four, so there are no solutions.
graph%28300%2C300%2C-8%2C2%2C-5%2C5%2Csqrt%28%28x%2B6%29%5E2%29%2C-4%29