My Math Forum I Don't Get this Addition and Divison Problem

 Elementary Math Fractions, Percentages, Word Problems, Equations, Inequations, Factorization, Expansion

 April 17th, 2017, 10:48 AM #1 Newbie   Joined: Apr 2017 From: Wyoming Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 I Don't Get this Addition and Divison Problem I was looking at a sample quiz with an answer key and I really don't get a pretty basic problem. |-6| + |8| --------------- |-2| According to the answer key the answer is 7. Please explain the problem to this simpleton. Thank you.
 April 17th, 2017, 11:06 AM #2 Senior Member   Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 1,144 Thanks: 249 The absolute value of a number $x$ is $|x| = \begin{cases} ~~~x ~~\text{if} ~~x \geq 0 \\ -x ~~\text{if} ~~ x < 0 \end{cases}$ So: $|{-6}| = 6$ $|8| = 8$ $|{-2}| = 2$ Then the numerator becomes $6 + 8 = 14$, and the denominator is $2$. So the answer is $14 / 2 = 7$. Last edited by Maschke; April 17th, 2017 at 11:16 AM.
 April 17th, 2017, 12:30 PM #3 Newbie   Joined: Apr 2017 From: Wyoming Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Absolute Value, of course! I could not for the life of me remember what the lines next to the numbers meant. Thanks.
April 17th, 2017, 12:32 PM   #4
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Quote:
 Originally Posted by 0864 Absolute Value, of course! I could not for the life of me remember what the lines next to the numbers meant. Thanks.
You're very welcome.

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