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| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
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Subject: Inequalities In the following inequality, would one flip the inequality symbol? 3x > -12 Thank you, |
Hi Jen.
You flip the inequality symbol when multiplying or dividing both side by a negative number. For example,
4 > -2 but when we multiply both sides by -3, we flip to keep the inequality true: -12 < 6.
If you are trying to isolate x in your inequality: 3x > -12
you need to divide by positive 3, so you don't flip the inequality: x > -4
Hope this helps,
Stephen La Rocque.
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