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Absolute Value

Definition

The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line. It gives the magnitude or size of a number without considering its sign.

Analogy

Think of absolute value as a "number's personal space." Just like how people have personal space and it doesn't matter if they are standing to the left or right, their personal space remains the same. Similarly, absolute value only cares about how far a number is from zero, not whether it's positive or negative.

Related terms

Integer: A whole number that can be either positive, negative, or zero.

Magnitude: The size or extent of something. In mathematics, magnitude refers to the absolute value.

Distance Formula: A formula used to calculate the distance between two points in a coordinate plane by finding the absolute values of differences in their x and y coordinates.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.