There is still an i in the denominator, but you can get rid of it. Since i = , i^2 = –1, so substitute that
into the fraction to get
Reducing the fraction gives you 2 + , which is (A).
When Values Are Absolute
Absolute value is just a measure of the distance between a number and 0. Since distances are always
positive, the absolute value of a number is also always positive. The absolute value of a number is
written as |x|.
When solving for the value of a variable inside the absolute value bars, it is important to remember that
variable could be either positive or negative. For example, if |x| = 2, then x = 2 or x = −2 since both 2 and
−2 are a distance of 2 from 0.
SAT Smoke and Mirrors
When you’re asked to
solve an equation involv-
ing an absolute value, it is
very likely that the correct
answer will be the nega-
tive result. Why? Because
the test writers know that
you are less likely to think
about the negative result!
Another way to avoid mis-
takes is to do all the math
inside the absolute value
symbols first, and then
make the result positive.Here’s an example:
9.
|x + 3| = 6
|y – 2| = 7For the equations shown above, which of the following is a possible value of x − y ?
A) –14