What does the statement |a| = 3 mean?

The statement |a| = 3 means that the absolute value of a is equal to 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement |a| = 3 means that the absolute value of a is equal to 3.

The absolute value function f(x) = |x| is defined as  

f(x) = x when x ≥ 0 and  

f(x) = -x when x < 0

So, in this case the value of a can be 3 or -3.

If a = 3, then |a| = a = 3 as a ≥ 0 and if a = - 3 , then |a| = - a = - ( - 3) = 3 as a < 0. (Answer)