How do you solve abs(3x - 6)= -5?

1 Answer
Bill K.
Jul 30, 2015

There are no solutions.

Explanation:

The absolute value of a number is never negative.

If the problem had been |3x-6|=5 instead, there would have been two solutions: the unique value of x where 3x-6=5 and the unique value of x where 3x-6=-5.

3x-6=5\Rightarrow 3x=11\Rightarrow x=11/3

3x-6=-5\Rightarrow 3x=1\Rightarrow x=1/3

So x=11/3 and x=1/3 are the two solutions of |3x-6|=5, but that's not how you wrote your original question.

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