Question

Suppose a teacher gives 10 points for putting your name on a 100 point test. The minimum score on that test is 10 and the maximum score is 100. Write an absolute value equation that represents the minimum and maximum scores. Use x to represent the scores.

Answer 1

|x -55| = 45

Explanation:

You want an absolute value equation that has solutions of 10 and 100.

Equation

The absolute value function, applied to a number line, tells you the distance between two points. You have two points, 10 and 100.

These will have the same distance from their midpoint: (10 +100)/2 = 55. That distance is 100 -55 = 45.

Expressing this as an absolute value equation, we have ...

|x -55| = 45