Absolute Value is an absolutely valuable skill to know

This is a graph on a recent SAT question. It asks students to identify the equation.

The answer is | x^2 - 1 |

The "absolute value of the quantity x-squared minus one."

I see student miss absolute value questions all the time. The SAT presents absolute value as equations and as graphs. Remember that absolute value is always positive or zero.  When graphed, a function "f(x)" an equation in "y = | x |" will NEVER have an negative value for the y coordinate.

They are easy to spot. Go refresh your memory of absolute value and kick this question's butt.