Ineed to figure how in the world you can get x=-5 from this equation? |2x-3|+4=17. the question is: what are the solutions to the equation |2x-3|+4=17? the final answer is: "x=-5 or x=8". but i do not understand how you can get x=-5 from this. can someone explain?

bearing in mind that an absolute value expression, is in effect a piece-wise expression, so once we remove the bars, we really end up with two siblings, one is negative, the other positive, of the same expression.

x=-5 and x=8

Step-by-step explanation:

|2x-3|+4=17

first step is to get the absolute value alone

subtract 4 from each side

|2x-3|+4-4=17-4

|2x-3|=13

absolute value equations have 2 solutions, one positive and one negative

now we can separate the equation into positive and negative

2x-3 = +13        and        2x-3  = -13

add 3 to each side

2x-3+3 = 13+3         2x-3 + 3 = -13 +3

2x = 16                            2x = -10

divide by 2

2x/2 = 16/2                      2x/2 = -10/2

x = 8                                      x = -5

the two solutions are x = -5 and x = 8

lets check

|2x-3|+4=17

x=-5

|2(-5)-3|+4=17

|-10-3|+4=17

|-13|+4=17

absolute values means positive

13+4 = 17

|2x-3|+4=17

x=8

|2(8)-3|+4=17

|16-3|+4=17

|3|+4=17

absolute values means positive

3+4 = 17