A few days ago
Anonymous

Absolute Values and Piecewise Functions?

Okay, I looked around the internet for some helpful information on Piecewise functions. Most sites were very helpful, but they didn’t really answer all my questions. I’m out of school now over summer vacation, but my math teacher gave us a summer packet (imagine my joy). The packet is simply titled “Functions and Graphing.” I understood most until I got to the piecewise functions.

I have the equation:

y=|x+2|+|x-3|

During school, my teacher said that it helped her to draw a numberline. For example, if you had y=|x+2| then you would draw a number line for all possible values of x:

<------(-2)--------(0)-------(2)------->

So you would have 4 different equations for the piecewise function??

If people could help me figure piecewise functions out with absolute value that would be great.

Top 1 Answers
A few days ago
LBRINDLEY

Favorite Answer

treat the absolute value marks as (). do each separately first then add. also choose a positive a negative and 0 for x

x___i___y

1 i 5 y=(1+2)+(1-3) y=3+I -2 I y=3+2 y=5

0 i 5

-1 I 5

7 i 13

-7 i 15

absolute numbers are how far from zero the number is. so 2 and I -2I would both be 2.

your answer will be a curved line. a u on the graph.

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