How do you solve # |5 - t| = 3#?

1 Answer
Jul 15, 2016

the answer is 2

Edit: The answer can also be 8.

Explanation:

The first case gives:

#5 - t = 3#

solve for t

#- t = 3 - 5#

#- t = -2#

#implies t = 2#

Edit: What the magnitude function does here is transform negative solutions to positive, this means that we have two cases:

#5-t = 3# as the original answer had

and

#5-t = -3#

#therefore t = 5-3 or t = 5+3#

#implies t =2 or 8#