Is ((y - 4)^2)^(1/2) = 4 - y ? (1) |y - 3| less than or equal to 1

Absolute value properties:
When \(x\leq{0}\) then \(|x|=-x\), or more generally when \(some \ expression\leq{0}\) then \(|some \ expression|={-(some \ expression)}\). For example: \(|-5|=5=-(-5)\);

When \(x\geq{0}\) then \(|x|=x\), or more generally when \(some \ expression\geq{0}\) then \(|some \ expression|={some \ expression}\). For example: \(|5|=5\);

Next:
Must know for the GMAT: \(\sqrt{x^2}=|x|\).

The point here is that as square root function can not give negative result then \(\sqrt{some \ expression}\geq{0}\).

So \(\sqrt{x^2}\geq{0}\). But what does \(\sqrt{x^2}\) equal to?

Let's consider following examples:
If \(x=5\) --> \(\sqrt{x^2}=\sqrt{25}=5=x=positive\);
If \(x=-5\) --> \(\sqrt{x^2}=\sqrt{25}=5=-x=positive\).

So we got that:
\(\sqrt{x^2}=x\), if \(x\geq{0}\);
\(\sqrt{x^2}=-x\), if \(x<0\).

What function does exactly the same thing? The absolute value function: \(|x|=x\), if \(x\geq{0}\) and \(|x|=-x\), if \(x<0\). That is why \(\sqrt{x^2}=|x|\).

BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION:

Question asks: is \(\sqrt{(y-4)^2}=4-y\)?

Now, according to the above \(\sqrt{(y-4)^2}=|y-4|\)? So the question becomes: is \(|y-4|=4-y\)? --> or is \(|y-4|=-(y-4)\)? Which, again according to the properties of absolute value, is true when \(y-4\leq{0}\) or when \(y\leq{4}\).

Hope it's clear.