Carcass wrote:
If \(|\frac{x}{4}| > 1\) which of the following must be true?
A. x > 4
B. x < 4
C. x = 4
D. x ≠ 4
E. x < -4
When solving inequalities involving ABSOLUTE VALUE, there are 2 things you need to know:
Rule #1: If |something| < k, then –k < something < k
Rule #2: If |something| > k, then EITHER something > k OR something < -kNote: these rules assume that k is positive
From rule #2, we can write: EITHER x/4 > 1 OR x/4 < -1
Let's test each case:
Take: x/4 > 1
Multiply both sides by 4 to get:
x > 4Take: x/4 < -1
Multiply both sides by 4 to get:
x < -4IMPORTANT: We're asked to find the answer choice that
MUST be trueIn our first solution, we get:
x > 4HOWEVER, this does not mean that answer choice A MUST be true, since it could also be the case that
x < -4, in which case, answer choice A is NOT true.
So, if we know that EITHER
x > 4 OR
x < -4, which answer choice MUST be true?
Only answer choice D (x ≠ 4) is true for both possible cases.
Answer: D
Cheers,
Brent