# absolute value graphs

• November 1st 2006, 03:35 PM
lilmolldoll41
absolute value graphs
How do you graph lyl-lxl=2?
• November 1st 2006, 04:00 PM
Soroban
Hello, lilmolldoll41!

I had to baby-talk my way through this one.
. . I hope it makes sense . . .

Quote:

How do you graph: . $|y| - |x| \:=\:2$ ?

We have: . $|y| \:=\:|x| + 2$

First, we consider: . $y \:=\:|x| + 2$

The graph of $y \:= \:|x|$ is a V-shape with its vertex at the origin.

The graph of $y \:=\:|x| + 2$ is the same graph moved up 2 units.
Code:

```                  |           \      |      /             \    |    /               \  |  /                 \ | /                   *                   |       ------------+------------                   |```

Now $|y|$ makes the graph symmetric to the x-axis.
. . (Whatever happens above the x-axis also happens below.)

So the "V" is reflected downward and the graph looks like this:
Code:

```                  |           \      |      /             \    |    /               \  |  /                 \ | /                   *                   |       ------------+------------                   |                   *                 / | \               /  |  \             /    |    \           /      |      \                   |```