Answer:
1. a = 0 and 5
2. no solutions
Step-by-step explanation:
For absolute value, it's the distance from that number on the number line to 0, so it has to be positive. We define absolute value as when |a| = b, a = b and a = -b.
1. |a - 5| = 5 - a
a - 5 = 5 - a
2a = 10
a = 5
AND
a - 5 = -(5 - a)
a - 5 = -5 + a
-5 = -5
a = 0 (a could work as 0 in this scenario)
Thus our solutions are a = 0 and 5.
2. |a| = -1
Now we have to catch ourselves here. Since absolute value is always positive, nothing works. There is no negative distance to 0 (at least in real numbers). Hence, we can say that there are no solutions.
