Skill: Find distance from zero

The distance from zero tells how many units an integer is away from $0$ on a number line. Distance is always nonnegative, so it is found using the integer’s absolute value.

Example: Find the distance from zero of $-5$.

1. Locate $-5$ on a number line.
2. Count the spaces from $-5$ to $0$:
   $-5 \to -4 \to -3 \to -2 \to -1 \to 0$
3. There are $5$ spaces, so the distance is $5$.

We write this as:

$$\vert -5 \vert =5$$

Therefore, the distance from zero of $-5$ is $5$ units. Notice that $5$ would also have a distance of $5$ from zero because $5$ and $-5$ are opposites. The distance from zero of $0$ is $0$.