Question

How do you solve `|2a + 10| = | 3a - 8|`?

Answer 1

`a=18` or `a=-2/5`

Explanation:

If `|x|=|y|` then either `x=y` or x=-y#

Hence as `|2a+10|=|3a-8|`

either `2a+10=3a-8` i.e. `10+8=3a-2a` i.e `a=18`

or `2a+10=-(3a-8)` i.e. `2a+10=-3a+8`

i.e. `2a+3a=+8-10` i.e. `5a=-2` i.e `a=-2/5`