If the fraction is
(a-|a|)/a
then its value is
0 if a is positive
2 if a is negative
since
|a| = a if a is positive
|a| = -a if a is negative
When doing a calculation involving zoning laws, Tim comes across the following expression:
fraction a- open vertical bar a close vertical bar over denominator a end fraction,
where a is either a positive or a negative number.
(A) What is the value of the expression when a equals 5?
(B) What is the value of the expression when a equals negative 5?
Plug in the numerical value for a into the expression. Remember that the absolute value of a number is always non-negative. Follow the order of operations to find the value of the expression.
1 answer