absolute value equations

the equation is:
y = a | x-h | + k

Isolate the absolute value
If the number on the other side of the equation negative, then it is no solution.
If the number on the other side of the equation is not negative, write two equations without absolute value bars, but have one where the number the equation equals to, be negative, and the other postive.
Then solve both equations.

|3x - 6| - 9 = -3

|3x - 6| = 6

3x - 6 = 6          3x - 6 = -6

3x = 12       3x = 0

x = 2          x = 0

Graphing absolute value equations:

the parent function for graphing absolute values is y = | x |

If the equation was y = | x + 2 | , this is how it would look:

If there was a negative outside of the absolute value sign, then it would open downwards, and look something like this:    y = - | x |