How do you graph the absolute value equation #y=-abs(1/2 x)#?

1 Answer
Apr 2, 2015

You make two different graphs.

The absolute makes a negative between the bars positive. So if #x<0# the equation #|1/2 x|#turns into #-1/2 x#.

And then the #-#sign outside the absolute bars makes it all negative again:

For #x>=0# the graph is #y=- 1/2 x#

For #x<0# you graph #y=-(- 1/2 x)= 1/2 x#

#x=0,y=0# is where these two meet:
graph{-|0.5x| [-10.21, 9.79, -8.24, 1.76]}