Question #b8a92

2 Answers
Jun 22, 2017

"see explanation"

Explanation:

"there is no solution to the equation"

x=-9" is an extraneous solution"

"that is a solution obtained by the simplification of the "
"process that does not satisfy the original equation"

color(blue)"As a check"

"left side "=3|-18+7|=3|-11|=33

"right side " =(3xx-9)-6=-33

"since left side " !=" right side"

rArrx=-9" is an extraneous solution"

"this is a valuable lesson in the need to check solutions"

Jun 22, 2017

Because the absolute value changes the sign and positive numbers do not equal negative numbers.

Explanation:

One way to see how the -9 is not a solution is to plug into both sides of the original

3abs(2xx-9+7)=3xx-9-6

3abs(-18+7)=-27-6

Before we go any further, you should now see these two sides cannot be equal. The left hand side will result in a positive number, but the right hand side will result in a negative number!

3abs(-11)=-33

Remember, absolute value makes the number inside positive.

3xx11=-33

33!=-33

If you try to solve this algebraically, you get

3abs(2x+7)=3x-6

Divide by 3

abs(2x+7)=x-6

The trick to solving this any more depends on the sign (positive or negative) of what's inside the absolute value brackets.

If 2x+7 is a negative number, then 2x+7 < 0 which means that 2x < -7, which means that x < -7/2. So for any value of x less than -7/2, the inside will become POSITIVE on the left. But plugging a number less then -7/2 into the right side at this point will only give NEGATIVE numbers. So the expression is false for the infinite number of values less then -7/2.