Question

How do you solve `|x + 2| + 16 = 14`?

Answer 1

See below

Explanation:

First, subtract 16 from each side of the equation:

`abs(x + 2) + 16 - 16 = 14 - 16`

`abs(x + 2) + 0 = -2`

`abs(x + 2) = -2`

By definition of the absolute value function the result of the function will always be greater than or equal to `0`. Therefore there are no answers for this problem or the solution set is the null set - `x = {O/}`