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Ch. P - Fundamental Concepts of Algebra
Blitzer - College Algebra 8th Edition
Blitzer8th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136970514Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 1, Problem 54

Rewrite each expression without absolute value bars. |7 - π|

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Recall that the absolute value expression \(|x|\) can be rewritten as a piecewise function: \(|x| = \begin{cases} x, & \text{if } x \geq 0 \\ -x, & \text{if } x < 0 \end{cases}\).
Identify the expression inside the absolute value bars: \(7 - \pi\).
Determine whether \(7 - \pi\) is nonnegative or negative by comparing the values of 7 and \(\pi\) (approximately 3.14159).
Since \(7 - \pi > 0\), the absolute value expression simplifies to \(7 - \pi\) without the bars.
Therefore, \(|7 - \pi|\) can be rewritten as \(7 - \pi\) because the quantity inside the absolute value is positive.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Absolute Value Definition

The absolute value of a number represents its distance from zero on the number line, always expressed as a non-negative value. For any real number x, |x| equals x if x is non-negative, and -x if x is negative.
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Evaluating Expressions Involving Constants

When rewriting expressions without absolute value bars, it is important to evaluate or compare constants like π (approximately 3.14) to determine the sign of the expression inside the absolute value. This helps decide whether to keep the expression as is or negate it.
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Piecewise Definition of Absolute Value

Absolute value expressions can be rewritten as piecewise functions that define different outputs depending on the sign of the inner expression. For example, |7 - π| equals 7 - π if 7 - π ≥ 0, otherwise it equals -(7 - π).
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