Solving and graphing absolute value equations

This is just a reminder for myself from the tutoring I did tonight.

When you solve an absolute value equation or inequality you usually eliminate the absolute value sign by creating 2 new equations, one that mirrors the original and one that is the inverse of the original. The inverse equation is usually made by making the "answer" negative, but you could also do it by making everything inside the absolute value symbols negative leaving the answer as it is.

If you teach it this way to begin with then you are learning one process that you use again and again in absolute value equations and inequalities AND functions. Doing it this way helps you know how to find the x-intercepts and y-intercepts of an absolute value function. It helps in graphing an absolute value function. etc.