-3 |x| + 10 = -20

Question

We need to find two answers to the above question. Can only find one answer which is 10 and cannot figure out what the 2nd answer is.

Answer 1

-3 absolutevalue(x)+10=-20

-3 absolutevalue(x)+10-10=-20-10

-3 absolutevalue(x)=-30

[-3 absolutevalue(x)]/(-3)=(-30)/(-3)

absolutevalue(x)=10

the absolute value of a number is never negative, only positive or zero

examples:absval(12)=12, absval(-15)=15, absval(0)=0

therefore absval(10)=10 and absval(-10)=10 also

now you know where the second value of -10 comes from

simply speaking, the absolute value of a number is the number of units that number is from the origin without regard to direction

in your example, x is the number that is 10 units from the origin; there are two numbers that are each 10 units from the origin on the number line: 10 and -10(don't forget that these are undirected distances-which direction you move does not matter, in the positive direction or in the negative direction) I hope this helps you understand absolute value.

Answer 2

Both 10 and -10 are correct.