🔢 Absolute Value 📚 Grade 5 ⏱ 5 min
Absolute Value: Distance to Zero
Absolute value is a number's distance from zero on the number line, always a positive value, regardless of the number's sign.
Distance is always positive
Both -5 and 5 sit 5 steps away from zero. The absolute value of -5 is 5, and of 5 is also 5 — direction does not matter, only distance.
💡 Anchor: show it on a number line: count the steps from zero to a number, regardless of whether the count goes left or right.
Writing absolute value
Absolute value is written with two vertical bars: |−5|=5, |5|=5, |0|=0.
FAQ
Why does absolute value matter in real life?
Distance between cities, temperature differences regardless of direction — absolute value strips the sign, keeping just the magnitude.
🔢 The number line is the base of absolute value!
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