Question

Select the correct answer.

Samantha made a device that pours 300 ml of hot wax into molds. Due to a hardware flaw, the device pours 4 ml less than or more than 300 ml of wax into the molds.

The following absolute value equation can be used to determine the actual quantity of wax poured into the molds:

|x − 300| = 4.

Here, x represents the amount of wax, in ml, poured into the molds.

Based on this information, what is the actual quantity of wax poured into the molds?

Answer 1

The actual quantity of wax poured into the molds is 304 ml or 296 ml.

Explanation:

The absolute value of a number is its positive numerical value.

To solve an equation containing an absolute value:

1. Isolate the absolute value on one side of the equation.
2. Set the contents of the absolute value equal to both the positive and negative value of the number on the other side of the equation.
3. Solve both equations.

Given:

`|x-300| = 4`

Setting
`x - 300` to the positive and negative 4 and solving for x:

`\quad\quad \quad \sf \underline{Positive} \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad \quad\quad\underline{Negative}\\\\\begin{aligned}x-300 & = 4 & \textsf{ or } \quad \quad \quad \quad \quadx-300 & = -4\\x-300+300 & = 4 + 300 & x - 300 + 300 & = -4 +300\\x & = 304 & x & = 296\\\end{aligned}`

Therefore, the actual quantity of wax poured into the molds is 304 ml or 296 ml.

Answer 2

• 296 or 304

Explanation:

Given equation:

• |x − 300| = 4

It has two outcomes according to property of absolute value:

1.

• x - 300 = 4
• x = 304

2.

• x - 300 = -4
• x = 296