Question

−4|x + 5| = −16

Answer 1

Solving for x?

Answer 2

The first thing to do is to divide both sides by the -4 to get the absolute value stuff alone on one side.

Answer 3

\(\bf -4|x + 5| = -16 \implies |x + 5| =\cfrac{-16}{-4}\to
\begin{cases}
+(x + 5) =\cfrac{-16}{-4}
\\ \quad \\
\bf -(x + 5) =\cfrac{-16}{-4}
\end{cases}\)

Answer 4

So that will give you:\[\left| x+5 \right|=4\]

Answer 5

When you remove the absolute value signs, what happens is that you will be left with both the positive and negative of the 4. Like this:\[x+5=4, x+5=-4\]

Answer 6

Solving those for x will give you very different answers. x = -1, or x = -9