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Unit 6: Inequalities

An inequality keeps a whole range of numbers true at once, drawn as a ray or a shaded region instead of a single point.

6 topics · 22 questions

Each topic is a path, not a menu: work down it in order and every question builds on the one above. Click any of them to watch the answer draw itself.

Solving One-Variable Inequalities

  1. How it worksHow does isolating x in an inequality work the same way it does for an equation?
  2. Worked exampleSolve the inequality 3x - 5 is greater than 10 and graph the solution on a number line.
  3. Common mistakeWhy doesn't an inequality's solution stop being true once you plug in a really large number?
  4. Going furtherWhat happens to the solution set when both sides of an inequality are multiplied by a positive fraction?
Your turn1 of 2
Solve the inequality 7x - 6 is greater than 28. Find the boundary value of x (where equality holds).

Why You Flip the Inequality Sign

  1. How it worksHow does multiplying an inequality by a negative number reverse the order of every number on the line?
  2. Worked exampleSolve the inequality -2x + 3 is less than 11, flipping the sign at the right step.
  3. Common mistakeWhy doesn't adding a negative number to both sides of an inequality require flipping the sign?
  4. Going furtherWhat happens to a compound inequality's sign direction when every part gets divided by a negative number?
Your turn1 of 2
Solve the inequality -7x + 10 is less than 19. Find the boundary value of x.

Compound Inequalities

  1. How it worksHow does an \"and\" compound inequality require both conditions to be true at once on the number line?
  2. Worked exampleSolve the compound inequality -3 is less than 2x + 1 and 2x + 1 is less than 9.
  3. How it worksHow does an \"or\" compound inequality end up covering two separate rays on the number line?
  4. Common mistakeWhy isn't every compound inequality's graph one single connected piece of the number line?
Your turn1 of 2
Solve the compound inequality -3 is less than 4x + 8 and 4x + 8 is less than 19. Find the upper boundary value of x.

Graphing Two-Variable Inequalities

  1. How it worksHow does testing a point decide which side of the boundary line to shade?
  2. Worked exampleGraph the inequality y is greater than 2x - 1, including whether the boundary line is solid or dashed.
  3. Common mistakeWhy does a strict inequality need a dashed boundary line instead of a solid one?
  4. Going furtherWhat happens to a shaded region when the inequality symbol switches from greater than to greater than or equal to?
Your turn1 of 2
To graph y > 7x + -4 (with -4 negative), you test the point (0, 0). Substituting gives 0 > -4, which is true. What do you conclude?

Systems of Two-Variable Inequalities

  1. How it worksHow do you find the overlapping shaded region for a system of two inequalities?
  2. Worked exampleGraph the solution to the system y is less than x + 3 and y is greater than or equal to -x + 1.
  3. Going furtherWhat happens to a system of inequalities' solution region when one boundary line becomes parallel to the other?
Your turn1 of 2
A point satisfies inequality 1 of a system but fails inequality 2. Where does that put it relative to the system's solution region?

Inequality Word Problems

  1. How it worksHow do you decide whether a word problem's limit should translate to greater-than or less-than-or-equal-to?
  2. Worked exampleFind how many rides a 40 dollar budget allows at a fair charging 5 dollars entry plus 2.50 dollars per ride.
  3. Going furtherWhat happens to the inequality's solution set if the entry fee in the fair problem doubles?
Your turn1 of 2
A budget of 68 dollars allows entry for 8 dollars plus 5 dollars per ride. Find the value of r (rides) where the entry fee plus ride cost together exactly use up the budget.