Evaluate the following: | -15 | = __ and | 13 | = __
Understand the Problem
The question is asking us to evaluate the absolute values of -15 and 13. The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line, regardless of direction.
Answer
$$ |-15| = 15 $$ and $$ |13| = 13 $$
Answer for screen readers
The evaluated values are:
$$ |-15| = 15 $$
and
$$ |13| = 13 $$
Steps to Solve
- Evaluate the absolute value of -15
The absolute value of a negative number is its positive counterpart. Therefore,
$$ |-15| = 15 $$
- Evaluate the absolute value of 13
The absolute value of a positive number is the number itself. Thus,
$$ |13| = 13 $$
The evaluated values are:
$$ |-15| = 15 $$
and
$$ |13| = 13 $$
More Information
The absolute value function is widely used in mathematics to express distance and magnitude. For any real number $x$, the absolute value $|x|$ is defined as:
- $x$ if $x \geq 0$
- $-x$ if $x < 0$
Tips
- A common mistake is to forget that absolute value measures distance, not the original number, leading to incorrect signs. To avoid this, remember that absolute values are always non-negative.
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