Real life examples of absolute value inequalities

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Absolute value inequalities are mathematical statements that involve the absolute value of a variable and an inequality symbol (e.g., <, >, ≤, or ≥).

Here are some real-life examples of situations where absolute value inequalities come into play:

  1. Temperature: Consider a city where the temperature should stay within a certain range to be comfortable for residents. For example, |T – 25| < 5 means the temperature (T) should be within 5 degrees of 25 degrees Celsius to maintain a comfortable environment.
  2. Financial Transactions: When dealing with financial transactions, banks may set limits on daily withdrawals or spending. If a bank account balance is represented by B, an absolute value inequality like |B| > 1000 could indicate that the account balance should exceed $1000 to avoid an overdraft.
  3. Speed Limits: Speed limits on highways can be represented using absolute value inequalities. For instance, |v – 60| ≤ 10 means that the speed (v) of vehicles should not deviate more than 10 units from 60 units (mph, km/h, etc.).
  4. Manufacturing Tolerances: In manufacturing, certain parts or products may have allowable tolerances. If the dimension of a product is represented by d, an inequality like |d – 20| < 2 could mean that the dimension should be within 2 units of 20 units.
  5. Reaction Times: In safety studies, reaction times can be examined. If the average reaction time is represented by t, an absolute value inequality like |t – 0.3| ≤ 0.1 might indicate that the reaction time should be within 0.1 seconds of 0.3 seconds to be considered acceptable.
  6. Distance from a Location: Suppose you are planning a trip, and you want to stay within a certain distance from a particular landmark. If your location is represented by x and the landmark’s location is denoted by L, an inequality like |x – L| ≤ 50 could mean you need to be within 50 miles of the landmark.

These are just a few examples where absolute value inequalities are applied to real-world scenarios, helping us define boundaries, limits, and acceptable ranges in various situations.

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