Absolute value represents a number’s distance from zero on a number line, so it is never negative; opposite numbers such as −5 and 5 have the same absolute value even though they lie in different directions. The concept supports interpreting signed quantities as direction or position and magnitude separately, including understanding an integer’s coordinate as its horizontal or vertical distance from an axis; treatment is limited to integers and familiar rational numbers, not absolute-value equations or functions.
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Detailed Explanation: Interpret absolute value
Absolute value tells how far a number is from on a number line. Distance is never negative, so an absolute value is always or positive.
For example, find .
- Locate on a number line.
- Count the spaces from to : there are spaces.
- Since distance is positive, write:
The number tells the direction—5 units to the left of . Its absolute value, , tells only the distance from . Similarly, because is also 5 units from .
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Absolute Value - Single Value to Answer
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This Worksheet Includes:
- Absolute Value - Single Value to Answer
- Absolute Value - Single Value in Expression to Answer
- Cartesian Grid - Meaning of Given Coordinate (indicator)
- Cartesian Grid - Meaning of Given Coordinate (no indicator)
- Cartesian Grid - Meaning of Given Coordinate (no grid)
- Cartesian Grid - Meaning of Y Coordinate (indicator)
- Cartesian Grid - Meaning of X Coordinate (no grid)
- Cartesian Grid - Points (X to complete coordinates) (no indicator)
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