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Introductory Example: Solving x=5|x| = 5

To solve the introductory absolute value equation x=5|x| = 5, one must find all numbers that make the mathematical statement true. Applying the geometric definition of absolute value, this requires finding all numbers whose distance from zero on the number line is exactly 55. Because both 55 and 5-5 are positioned exactly five units away from zero, they are both valid solutions. This means that if x=5|x| = 5, then x=5x = -5 or x=5x = 5. This pair of solutions can be conveniently simplified into a single mathematical statement by writing x=±5x = \pm 5, which is read aloud as 'xx is equal to positive or negative 55'.

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Updated 2026-05-02

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