155k views
2 votes
A thermostat is set so that the temperature in a laboratory freezer is 5°F. The temperature is allowed to go up or down to degrees Fahrenheit. Solve an absolute value equation to find a maximum and minimum temperatures of the freezer.

A) -5°F and 10°F
B) -15°F and 15°F
C) 0°F and 10°F
D) -10°F and 5°F

User PeteAC
by
7.2k points

1 Answer

7 votes

Final answer:

To find the maximum and minimum temperatures of the freezer, we solve an absolute value equation. The maximum temperature is 5°F and the minimum temperature is -10°F.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the maximum and minimum temperatures of the freezer, we need to solve an absolute value equation. Since the thermostat is set at 5°F, we can represent this as |x - 5|, where x represents the temperature. The temperature is allowed to go up or down to 10 degrees, so the equation becomes |x - 5| <= 10. To solve this, we need to consider two cases.

In the first case, x - 5 is greater than or equal to 0, so the equation becomes x - 5 <= 10. Solving for x, we get x <= 15. Therefore, the maximum temperature is 15°F.

In the second case, x - 5 is less than 0, so the equation becomes -(x - 5) <= 10. Simplifying, we get -x + 5 <= 10. Solving for x, we get x >= -5. Therefore, the minimum temperature is -5°F.

Therefore, the maximum and minimum temperatures of the freezer are 15°F and -5°F, respectively. So, the correct answer is D) -10°F and 5°F.

User TheDrifter
by
8.3k points