Please help : The absoluyte value of y-2-4y=1

Question

liamschumm · Answer

What is $$\sqrt{x^2}?$$

anonymous · Answer

isnt it 1 sorry im not so good at math

tkhunny · Answer

$|y^{-2} - 4y|$??

Who told you that?  Answer the question, anyway.

tkhunny · Answer

You throw an x and there and somehow it turns into "1"?  Why would that happen.?  Try again.

liamschumm · Answer

It is actually |x|.

liamschumm · Answer

Which is the absolute value of x.

anonymous · Answer

ok got it

anonymous · Answer

so then how would i solve this?

tkhunny · Answer

We still don't know what to solve.  Please write it more clearly.  Use the vertical bar symbol for Absolute Value.

anonymous · Answer

Iy-2I-4y=1 (the abosolute value of y-2 )

anonymous · Answer

|dw:1411766953012:dw|

tkhunny · Answer

Ah!  That makes so much more sense.  You could have used parentheses in the first place to make it more clear on your first attempt.

Iy-2I-4y=1 

You MUST get this idea in your head:

IF x > 0, the |x| = x.  Absolute values don't do anything to positive numbers.  |3| = 3 for example.

Follow so far?

tkhunny · Answer

Follow or not, you need this, too...

IF x < 0, the |x| = -x.  Absolute values change the sign of negative numbers.  |-2| = 2 for example.

You have to get this stuck in your head.

anonymous · Answer

ok got it

tkhunny · Answer

To your problem...

IF y - 2 > 0, we have an identical problem

(y-2)-4y=1

Can you solve that?

IF y - 2 < 0, we have an identical problem

-(y-2)-4y=1

Can you solve that?