Terms and Vocabulary Letter A
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ABSOLUTE VALUE
The distance a number is from 0 on the number line is the absolute value. The absolute value of a number is always positive. In order to know you are asking for an absolute value of a number, we use two vertical bars around the number.
Examples:
What is the absolute value of 19 or |19| = ___
Since 19 is 19 numbers from 0 on the number line, the answer is 19; |19| = 19.
What is the absolute value of |-12| or |12| = ___
Since -12 is 12 numbers from 0 on the number line, the answer is 12; |-12| = 12.
What is the negative absolute value of 8 or -|8| = ___
Since we do the absolute value inside the bars first, we get 8, then we apply the sign that is outside the bars so -|8| = -8.
What is the absolute value of |7+5| or |7+5| = ____
Remembering that we calculate first, the answer is 12, |7+5| = 12.
If there is a number before the absolute value, it is treated as a multiplier just like in regular equations. So, 4 |-7| is 28 since 4 x 7 = 28. Remember the answer to an absolute value is always positive.
Signs can also be used outside the absolute value, such as -3|-5| which is -3 multiplied by 5 which is -15. This is because the absolute value is always positive.
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