Children who ride the roller coaster must be between 24 and 52 inches ...
The absolute value of a number represents its distance from zero on the number line. In this case, we want to represent the possible values of x, the height of a child who can ride the roller coaster, which must fall between 24 and 52 inches.
To represent this, we need an absolute value inequality that ensures the distance between x and a certain value is less than a given range.
Let's analyze the options:
A. |x – 24| < 52: This option represents the distance between x and 24 being less than 52, but it does not restrict the upper limit to 52. Therefore, it is not a correct representation of the given conditions.
B. |x – 28| < 14: This option represents the distance between x and 28 being less than 14, but it does not reflect the lower limit of 24. Thus, it does not accurately represent the given conditions.
C. |x – 38| < 14: This option represents the distance between x and 38 being less than 14, which fits the given conditions. If we consider x = 38, the absolute value of (x - 38) is 0, indicating that x is exactly 38. This option correctly represents the range from 24 to 52.
D. |x – 14| < 38: This option represents the distance between x and 14 being less than 38, but it does not capture the upper limit of 52. Therefore, it does not satisfy the given conditions.
E. |x – 28| < 52: This option represents the distance between x and 28 being less than 52, but it does not restrict the lower limit to 24. Thus, it is not an accurate representation of the given conditions.
Based on the analysis, option C, |x – 38| < 14, correctly represents all possible values of x that fall within the range of 24 to 52 inches.