EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

2.1 Equations
2.2 Inequalities
2.3 Absolute Values

2.1 Equations
 Solve equations involving surds, indices and logarithms

A : Surd

Square both Check

Rearrange Solve for x Answer
sides

3x  1  2  3x  1  2
 22 3x  1  4 LHS  3(1)  1
3x  3  4
x 1  2  RHS
INDICES x 1

Example 1: SAME DIFFERENT

BASE BASE
Find the values of x of which satisfy the following equations.

a) 7 x  x 5
b) 3  3 x  1  x .
2 TERMS
c) x  2  2 x  3  83 TERMS Have Common NO Common
Base Base

Compare Substituition Compare Using

Index Method Index logarithm

2 3x  2 6  
3 3x
2
 
 10 3 x  3  0 52x 
1 7 x  12
3x  6 25 log 7 x  log 12
Let u  3 x
x2 5 2x
  25 1
x log 7  log 12
3u 2  10u  3  0
 3u  1 u  3  0 5 2 x  5 2 log 12
x
B : Indices 1 2 x  2 log 7
u u 3 x 1
3 x  1.277
1
3x  3x  3
3
x  1 x 1
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Example 2:
Find the values of x of which satisfy the following equations.
a) 8 x  32
4 x 5
1
b) 9  3 x   
3
c) 3 2x
 4  3 2 x 1  25

Example 3:
Find the values of x of which satisfy the following equations.
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

a) 2 x 1  3 x
b) 2 x  2 3  3 x  5 x

Example 4:
Find the value of x of which satisfy the following equation.
a) 3 2 x  10  3 x  9  0
b) 3  9 x  5  3 x  2  0
c) 2 x  2  x 3  9  0

C:Logarithm
LOG  INDEX
CHANGE BASE
log a x  b  x  ab log c a
log b a 
log 7 x  3  x  73 log c b

SOLVING LOGARITHM EQUATION

Different Same Base Terms of Log at Coefficient of
Base LHS/ Constant Log must be 1
RHS (use Power Rule)

Check Solve for Change to Simplify LHS

Answer x Index Form using properties
of Log
SOLVING LOGARITHM (variable Base)

Change the Substitution Quadratic Solve Quadratic

variable Base Method (Let u) Equation Equation
u)

Substitute u Solve Quadratic

Example 5: Solve for x Equation
Solve the following equations:
a) log x  log( x  1)  log(3x  12)
b) 2 log 9 x  log 9 (6 x  1)  0
c) ln 10  ln(7  x)  ln x
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Example 6:
Solve the following equations:

a) log 2 2 x  log 4  x  3
b) log 4 x  log x 4  2.5

Exercises:
1. Solve the equations.

(a ) 2 x  32( 2  x )  12 ( x  2 or x  3)

8 ( x  2 or x  4)
( b) 2 x  6
x
2

(c) 2 x 5e 3 ln x  9 x  10  0 ( x  2.5 or x  2)

(d ) 3e 2 ln x  5e ln x  2 1
(x  )
3

2. Solve the equations.

(a ) 2 log b 4  log b 5  log b 10  log b x ( x  8)

1
( b) log 3 x  4 log x 3  3  0 (x  , x  3)
81
(c) 3 ln 2 x-4  2 ln 2 x ( x  27.299)

2.2 Inequalities
 Properties of inequalities
 Linear inequalities
 Quadratic inequalities
 Rational inequalities

Properties of Inequalities
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Inequality Signs: > is greater than

> is greater than or equal to

< is less than

< is less than or equal to

Linear Inequalities

 In solving linear inequalities, we divide (or multiply) both expressions on the left and
right hand side with the same positive number.

 If you multiply or divide by a negative number, this will reverse the direction of the
inequality.

Example 7: Solve the following linear inequalities.

a) 3 x  27 b)  3 x  27 c) 2 x  12  4
d)  10  5  3 x  2 e) 7  2  2x  8

Exercises: Solve the following inequalities. x

x  2
 2 5
4
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

a)  3 x  12 b) c)

Answer :
a ) x  4 b) x  8 c) x  10

Quadratic Inequalities

Definition: Quadratic inequalities can be written as:

where a, b and c are real numbers and a ¹ 0.

Steps for solving quadratic inequalities:

Collect all the terms Factorise the quadratic Find zeroes Solve using
to one side of the expression. of factors graphical/
inequalities. (ZOF). sign table
method.
Example 8: Solve the following inequalities.
(a) x 2  5 x  6
STEP 1:
x 2  5x  6  0
Collect all the terms to one
side of the inequality
STEP 2: ( x  2)( x  3)  0
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Factorise the quadratic

expression
STEP 3: ZOF : 2,3
Find ZOF
STEP 4: GRAPHICAL METHOD
Solve i) Sketch the graph

ii) Shade the region

The graph above the x-axis represent y > 0
The graph below the x-axis represent y < 0

iii) Write the solution

Interval: ( ,2]  [3, )
Solution set: {x : x  2 or x  3}

SIGN TABLE METHOD

i) Put the ZOF between intervals
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

ii) Test by selecting any number from each interval region and
insert it in each factor.

iii) Write the solution

Interval: ( ,2]  [3, )
Solution set: {x : x  2 or x  3}

(b)  x  5x  4  0
2
(c) x  3x  4
2

(d) (e)

2 x  5x  3  0
2x  5x  3  0
2

2
Exercises: Solve the following inequalities.
a )   6,1
a) x  5 x  6
2
b) x  5 x  0
2

b)   ,5   0,  
c)  x  3x  22
d ) x  7 x  10  0
2
Answer: c ) [1,2]
e) x  6 x  0 f )  x  4x  3 d )   5,2 
2 2

e)   ,0   6,  
f ) 1,3
Rational Inequalities
 Inequalities that can be expressed in the form
P( x) P( x) P( x) P ( x)
 0,  0,  0,  0; Q ( x) ¹ 0
Q ( x) Q( x) Q ( x) Q ( x)

where P ( x )and Q ( xare

) linear or quadratic expression.
 Do not use cross multiplication
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Steps for solving rational inequalities:

Example 9: Solve the following inequalities.

(a) 3 x  1  2
x3
STEP 1: Collect all terms to one side of 3x  1
20
the inequality x3
STEP 2: Equalize the denominator
3 x  1  2( x  3)
0
x3
STEP 3: Factorise the expression x7
0
x 3

STEP 4: Find ZOF ZOF: -7, 3

STEP 5: Solve by using sign table method

Solution :   ,7    3,  
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

x  4x
(c) x  6 x  9  0
2
3 1 2

(b)  (d)  x 1
3x  4 x  5 x7 x4

3 1 x  2x  8
2

(e)  (f) 0
x 1 x  2 ( x  8)( x  1)

Exercises: Solve the following inequalities.

(b)  x  4   0 1 2
2

(a) x  2 (c) 
2 x2 x3
x2 x 3
Answer:

(a){x : x  2}  {x  6} (b)  ,3   4 (c )1,2    3,  

2.3 Absolute Values

 Definition of Absolute Values
 Properties of Absolute Values
 Absolute Values Equations
 Absolute Values Inequalities

Introduction

Let’s look at the number line :

 The absolute value of x, denoted by x

 x Is the distance of x from zero
 This is why absolute value is always positive
 Absolute value only asks “how far?’ not, “in which direction?”
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Example:

x Is the distance of x from zero

a)

For instance, since both –2 and 2 are two units from zero, we have | –2 | = | 2 | = 2

b)
| –4 | = | 4 | = 4

Definition of Absolute Values

 The absolute value x of a real number x is defined by

 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Let’ Practice
1) x  4, x  4  4
2) x  5, x   5  5
3) x  3   , x  3      3  0.412

x  x2
NOTE: The equivalent definition of absolute value is

Example 10:

Give meaning to:

a)  x  2 
2

b)  3 x  8 2

Properties of Absolute Values

Properties Example
1. a  0 10  10  0, 0  0  0,  10  10  0

2. a   a 3  3 3

3. a  b  b  a ( 4)  5  5  ( 4)  1  1

4. a  b  b  a 6  ( 2)  8  8, ( 2)  6   8  8

5. ab  a b 7  ( 9)   63  63, (7  9  7(9)  63

a a 12 12 12
6.  with b ¹ 0   4  4,  4
b b 3 -3 3

Absolute Values Equations

DEFINITION
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

x a if and only if x  a or x  a where a is a positive number.

On a number line, we represent x a as shown below

i) ax  b  c ii ) ax  b  c x  d

Example 11:

Solve the following equations:

a) x 8
b) 3 x  4  5
c) x  1  10  2 x

iii ) ax 2  bx  c  d iv ) ax  b  cx  d

Example 12:

Solve the following equations:

a) x 2  5  3
b) 2 x  1  x  6
c) x  7  6
4
d) 7
x7
x2
e) 3
x 1
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Exercises: Answer:

1) 5 x  3  37 1) x  8

2) x  1  2 x  1 2) x  2,0

3) 2 x  2  3  5 3) x  6,2

Absolute Values Inequalities

Definition: For any positive real number a,
Absolute Values Definition Number Lines Notes
1) x  a if and only x   a or x  a Case A:

GreatOR
2) x  a if and only x   a or x  a
3) x  a if and only a  x a Case B:
4) x  a if and only
a  x a
LessAND

Case A

, 
greatOR

Type 1: Linear Inequality and Absolute Values

Example 13:

Solve the following inequalities

STEP SOLUTION
a) 3  2 x  5
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

S1: Define the absolute values

S2: Draw a hexsagon
S3: Collect all terms to one side  2x  2  0  2x  8  0
 2x  2
S4: Simplify and factorise - 2x  8

S5: Find ZOF x  1 x4

S6: Solve

(  ,  1]  [4,  )

b) 4 x  1  2 x  3

STEP 2:
Type 2: Quadratic Inequality and Absolute Values
Draw a hexsagon
Example 14:

Solve the following inequalities

x 2  48  5

Type 3: Rational Inequality and Absolute Values

Example 15:

Solve the following inequalities

x 1
2
x2

Case B

, 
lessAND
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Type 1: Linear Inequality and Absolute Values

Example 16:

Solve the following inequalities:

x6 3

Type 2: Quadratic Inequality and Absolute Values

Example 17:

Solve the following inequalities:

x2  6x  4  4

Type 3: Rational Inequality and Absolute Values

Example 18:

Solve the following inequalities:

1
3
x 1

Exercises: Answer:
13 5
1.  2 x  4  9 1. (  ∞ , )∪ ( , ∞ )
2 2

2. x  2  5 2. [ 3,7]

3. 2 x  6  8 3. ( ∞ ,7]∪ [1, ∞ )

4. x  2  x 2  4 4. (  ∞ ,2)∪ ( 2,1 )∪ (3, ∞ )

2  5x
2 14
5. 
2 5. ( ∞ , ]∪ [ ,∞ )
4 3 15 15

 2  2
6.   3 x  2 6. (  ∞ ,  ]∪ [  , ∞ )
3 3 3 3
 EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUESChapter 2

Example 19:

Solve the following inequalities by using squaring both sides:

a) x  3  x 1 c) x  5  3 x  1

b) x  4  3  2 x

Exercises: Answer:

Solve
1 the
. 2x  5 following
 10  3 x inequalities 1.squaring
by using  ∞,3∪both
 5, ∞sides:

2. x  5  x  7
2.  ∞ ,1