Question

9

Answer 1

I would think the left side is always positive (> 0) and the right side is negative. So it is always true, for all x.

Answer 2

the absolute value will make whatever you put inside it either 0 or positive
|0|= 0
| -1|= +1
what ever you put inside, the answer after you do the absolute value will be bigger than -16

Answer 3

in other words, not matter what x is in
| x+1|
you will not get a negative answer (because absolute value does not do that)

so it will never be less than -16

Answer 4

(it will never be less than 0)

Answer 5

The next trick is to recognize this, rather than following the formula. I'll have to think about how not to get trapped by this...