About Lesson
What Does Absolute Value Mean?
Absolute value describes the distance from zero that a number is on the number line, without considering direction. The absolute value of a number is never negative.
Take a look at some examples.
- The absolute value of 5 is 5. The distance from 5 to 0 is 5 units.
- The absolute value of –5 is 5. The distance from –5 to 0 is 5 units.
- The absolute value of 2 + (–7) is 5. When representing the sum on a number line, the resulting point is 5 units from zero.
- The absolute value of 0 is 0. (This is why we don’t say that the absolute value of a number is positive. Zero is neither negative nor positive.)
Absolute Value Examples and Equations
The most common way to represent the absolute value of a number or expression is to surround it with the absolute value symbol: two vertical straight lines.
- |6| = 6 means “the absolute value of 6 is 6.”
- |–6| = 6 means “the absolute value of –6 is 6.”
- |–2 – x| means “the absolute value of the expression –2 minus x.”
- –|x| means “the negative of the absolute value of x.”
The number line is not just a way to show distance from zero; it’s also a useful way to graph equalities and inequalities that contain expressions with absolute value.
Exercise Files