SOLUTION: Can someone please help me solve and graph? Thanks! {x+2} = 3 the parenthesis is absolute value. I believe the answer is -5,1. But, I'm not sure how to show the work out.

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Question 73252: Can someone please help me solve and graph? Thanks!
{x+2} = 3 the parenthesis is absolute value. I believe the answer is -5,1. But, I'm not sure how to show the work out.
Answer by bucky(2189) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

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You have both answers correct. Here's one way that you can do the math. It involves
solving two equations.
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Begin by pulling the quantity out of the absolute value signs. In this problem that quantity
is (x+2).
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For the first equation set up and solve the problem with a plus sign in front of the quantity:
.

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Since the parentheses are preceded by a plus sign, you can just remove them and the equation
becomes:
.

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Subtract 2 from both sides of this equation to eliminate the 2 on the left side and the
equation is then:
.

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This is one of the answers you are looking for.
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Now recall that near the start we set up the equation with a plus sign in front of the quantity.
Well, let's do that again EXCEPT this time we'll put a minus sign in front of the quantity.
.

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When you remove the parentheses this time the minus sign in front of them makes it necessary
to change the sign of everything inside the parentheses. [In effect you are multiplying
the quantity by minus 1.] So the resulting equation is:
.

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Add 2 to both sides of the equation to eliminate the -2 on the left side. Adding this 2
makes the equation become:
.

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To solve for x just multiply both sides of the equation by -1 to get:
.

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Now you have both answers. One of the answers is x = 1 and the other answer is x = -5.
The graph of these two answers is the number line with dots at +1 and -5 as shown below:
.

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I hope this method makes it easier for you to work these problems.