If the absolute value of a x is 5, what is the value of x

The value of x can be either 5 or -5, because the absolute value of a number represents its distance from zero on the number line.

If the absolute value of a number x is 5, it means that x is 5 units away from zero on the number line. Since the absolute value is always positive, there are two possible values for x: +5 and -5.