The inequality $|x - 5| < 1$ represents the absolute value of $x - 5$ being less than 1. This means the distance between $x$ and 5 must be less than 1.

We can break this into two inequalities:

$-1 < x - 5 < 1$

Now, solve for $x$:

1. Add 5 to all parts of the inequality: $-1 + 5 < x - 5 + 5 < 1 + 5$ $4 < x < 6$

So, the solution in interval notation is:

$(4, 6)$

This means that $x$ lies strictly between 4 and 6.

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Would you like a more detailed explanation of absolute value inequalities or have any questions about this? Here are some related questions you could explore:

1. How would you solve an absolute value equation like $|x - 5| = 1$?
2. What does $|x + 3| > 2$ represent in interval form?
3. How do you graph the inequality $|x - 5| < 1$?
4. Can absolute value inequalities have solutions for all $x$?
5. What happens if the inequality is $|x - 5| \geq 1$?

Tip: To solve absolute value inequalities like this, always rewrite the inequality without the absolute value by considering both the positive and negative cases.