Prealgebra for Two-Year Colleges/Appendix (procedures)/Absolute value

Absolute value The absolute value of a number is found by applying a simple rule: If you see a negative sign in front of the number, change it to a plus sign. If you see a plus sign, leave it alone. So, for example, the absolute value of -17 is +17. The absolute value of +36 is +36. Another way to understand the absolute value of a number is to think about the number line: image:Real_Number_Line.PNG The absolute value of a number is the distance from zero to that number on the number line. The absolute value of x is usually written as |x|. On calculators and computers it is sometimes written as abs (x). Questions: 1. Calculate the absolute value of the following numbers: a. -5 b. 9 c. -3.8 d. -139,462 e. 5/8 2. What is the absolute value of zero? Explain. 3. Calculate the following: a. |27| b. |-1.9| c. |3 - 7| d. |3 - 0.5| e. abs (-6) 4. Draw a graph of abs(x) from -5 to +5. Can abs(x) ever be less than zero? How can you see that from your graph? Answers: 1. a. 5 b. 9 c. 3.8 d. 139,462 e. 5/8 2. Zero, because zero is exactly zero away from zero on the number line. 3. a. 27 b. 1.9 c. |3-7| = |-4| = 4 d. |3-0.5| = |2.5| = 2.5 e. 6 4. Image of the absolute value of x