Algebra I: 1,001 Practice Problems For Dummies

Chapter 17

Making Inequalities More Fair

An inequality is a statement involving more than one expression and/or number. When two expressions are set greater than or less than one another, you want to determine for what numbers the statement is true. Inequalities can also involve several statements, one greater than the next, greater than the next, and so on. Solving these statements involves treating each section exactly the same and using the rules for dealing with inequalities.

The Problems You'll Work On

In short, here's what you'll be doing in this chapter:

• Using the rules special to inequality statements
• Writing solutions in both inequality notation and interval notation
• Solving linear inequalities
• Taking compound inequalities section by section
• Using a number line for nonlinear inequalities
• Dealing carefully with rational inequalities
• Rewriting and solving absolute value inequalities
• Finding the intersection of solutions when solving complex inequalities

What to Watch Out For

As you zip through the problems in this chapter, keep the following in mind:

• Reversing the signs when using multiplication or division of negative numbers
• Never multiplying or dividing by 0
• Using a parenthesis when writing interval notation involving infinity
• Treating the numerator and denominator as factors when solving rational inequalities

Performing Operations on Inequalities

716–719 Perform the indicated operation on the inequalities.

716. Starting with 7 > 3, add −2 to each side, and then ...