How is the opposite of -2.5 different from the absolute value of -2.5?
Understand the Problem
This question is asking to compare the opposite of -2.5 with the absolute value of -2.5. The opposite of a number is its additive inverse (the number that, when added to the original number, results in zero). The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line, which is always non-negative.
Answer
The opposite of $-2.5$ is equal to the absolute value of $-2.5$.
Answer for screen readers
The opposite of -2.5 is equal to the absolute value of -2.5.
Steps to Solve
- Find the opposite of -2.5
The opposite of a number is the number with the opposite sign. Therefore, the opposite of -2.5 is 2.5.
- Find the absolute value of -2.5
The absolute value of a number is its distance from 0. Therefore, the absolute value of -2.5 is 2.5, written as $|-2.5| = 2.5$.
- Compare the two values
We found that the opposite of -2.5 is 2.5, and the absolute value of -2.5 is also 2.5. Thus, they are equal.
The opposite of -2.5 is equal to the absolute value of -2.5.
More Information
The absolute value of any number is always non-negative. The opposite of a negative number is positive.
Tips
A common mistake is to think the opposite of $-2.5$ is $-(-2.5) = -2.5$, which is incorrect. The opposite of $-2.5$ is the number that when added to $-2.5$ equals zero. Another common mistake is to mix up "opposite" with "reciprocal".
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