SAT Math / Linear Relationships

Absolute Value

Rarely tested: fewer than half of the official practice tests have a question on it.
Part of the full libraryOpens January 2, 2027 · $97 for a year
What’s included
slopeFor a nonvertical line, slope is the change in y divided by the change in x: y’s change per unit of x. A vertical line has undefined slope.

You’ll leave with these skills

  1. Find both numbers that have the same absolute valueCount the same number of steps left and right of zero on the number line to find the positive and the negative answer.
  2. Write a distance from a target number as an absolute valueSubtract the target number inside the absolute value bars, and use less than or equal to for a “within” limit.
  3. Solve an absolute value equation by splitting it into two equationsGet the bars alone on one side, then set what is inside them equal to the positive number and to its negative.
  4. Check absolute value solutions on a Desmos graphGraph each side and find every intersection. For the lesson’s absolute value of a linear expression, the graph is a V; the other side is horizontal when it is a constant.

This lesson is part of the full library

207 lessons that teach every skill the SAT tests
  • 71Math
  • 40Reading
  • 24Grammar
  • 10 full-length practice tests to build test-day stamina and confidence
  • A Desmos simulator to solve math questions faster
  • A step-by-step guide to every practice test question
  • The Bluebook Simulator, so test day feels familiar
  • A drawing for every key term, so new ideas make sense at a glance

Explore the full library