What does absolute value mean?
Understand the Problem
The question asks for the definition of 'absolute value'. This involves understanding what absolute value represents in mathematics.
Answer
The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero, always resulting in a non-negative value.
The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line. It is always a non-negative value, regardless of the number's sign.
Answer for screen readers
The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line. It is always a non-negative value, regardless of the number's sign.
More Information
The absolute value is written with vertical bars on either side of the number e.g. |x|.
Tips
A common mistake is to think absolute value means to simply drop the negative sign. While this works for negative numbers, it's more accurate to think of it as the distance from zero, which will always be positive or zero.
Sources
- Absolute Value - Math Skills Overview Guide - davenport.libguides.com
- Absolute value examples (video) | Khan Academy - khanacademy.org
- Absolute value - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
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