SSAT Upper Level Math : How to find absolute value

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Algebra

Given:  are distinct integers such that:

Which of the following could be the least of the three?

Possible Answers:

 or  only

, or 

 or  only

 or  only

 only

Correct answer:

 or  only

Explanation:

, which means that  must be positive. 

If  is nonnegative, then . If  is negative, then it follows that . Either way, . Therefore,  cannot be the least. 

We now show that we cannot eliminate  or  as the least.

 

For example, if , then  is the least;  we test both statements:

, which is true.

 

, which is also true.

 

If , then  is the least; we test both statements:

, which is true.

 

, which is also true.

 

Therefore, the correct response is  or  only.

Example Question #33 : Algebra

, and  are distinct integers.  and . Which of the following could be the greatest of the three?

Possible Answers:

 only

 only

, or 

 only

None of the other responses is correct.

Correct answer:

 only

Explanation:

, so  must be positive. Therefore, since , equivalently, , so  must be positive, and

If  is negative or zero, it is the least of the three. If  is positive, then the statement becomes

,

and  is still the least of the three. Therefore,  must be the greatest of the three.

Example Question #31 : Algebra

Give the solution set:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

If , then either  or . Solve separately:

or 

The solution set, in interval notation, is .

Example Question #11 : How To Find Absolute Value

Define an operation  on the real numbers as follows:

If , then 

If , then 

If , then 

If , and 

then which of the following is a true statement?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Since , evaluate

, setting  :

 

Since , then select the pattern

 

Since , evaluate

, setting :

 

, so the correct choice is that .

 

 

 

Example Question #36 : Algebra

Given:  are distinct integers such that:

Which of the following could be the least of the three?

Possible Answers:

 only

, or 

 only

 or  only

 only

Correct answer:

 only

Explanation:

, which means that  must be positive. 

If  is nonnegative, then . If  is negative, then it follows that . Either way, . Therefore,  cannot be the least. 

Now examine the statemtn . If , then  - but we are given that  and  are distinct. Therefore,  is nonzero, , and 

and

.

 cannot be the least either.

Example Question #12 : How To Find Absolute Value

, and  are distinct integers.  and . Which of the following could be the least of the three?

Possible Answers:

None of the other responses is correct.

 or  only

 or  only

, or 

 or  only

Correct answer:

None of the other responses is correct.

Explanation:

, so  must be positive. Therefore, since , it follows that , so  must be positive, and

If  is negative or zero, it is the least of the three. If  is positive, then the statement becomes

,

and  is still the least of the three. Therefore,  must be the least of the three, and the correct choice is "None of the other responses is correct."

Example Question #12 : How To Find Absolute Value

Give the solution set:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

When dealing with absolute value bars, it is important to understand that whatever is inside of the absolute value bars can be negative or positive. This means that an inequality can be made.

In this particular case if , then, equivalently, 

From here, isolate the variable by adding seven to each side.

In interval notation, this is .

Example Question #13 : How To Find Absolute Value

Solve the following expression for when .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

First you plug in  for  and squre it.  

This gives the expression  which is equal to .  

Since the equation is within the absolute value lines, you must make it the absolute value which is the amount of places the number is from zero.  

This makes your answer .

Example Question #13 : How To Find Absolute Value

Possible Answers:

 and 

 and 

 and 

 and 

Correct answer:

 and 

Explanation:

The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero.  Absolute value is represented with  or absolute value bars .  To solve this absolute value equation remove the absolute value bars and set the equation equal to positive and negative eleven.

 

 

 and  are the two values of  which make this statement true.

and

Remember, because Absolute Value measures the distance from zero, the absolute value of a number whether negative or positive is always                    non-negative.

 

Example Question #14 : How To Find Absolute Value

Possible Answers:

There is no solution.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Absolute value measures distance from that number to the point of origin or zero.

However, there is a negative sign outside the Absolute value bars, which indicates the multiplication by 

 becomes 

Therefore  is the correct solution.

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