The document defines absolute value as the non-negative value of a real number without regard to its sign. It provides examples of calculating the absolute value of numbers and ordering numbers by their absolute values. Absolute value represents the distance of a number from zero on a number line. The document suggests absolute values are useful and provides homework problems for further practice.

1. Absolute Value 1 November 21, 2012
What is absolute value?
the absolute value | a | of a real number a is the non­negative
value (magnitude) of a without regard to its sign
Example 1
Write the absolute value of each number.
a) 7
b) ­6.5
c) ­3/4
Example 2
Order the absolute value of each number in
example 1 from least to greatest.
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2. Absolute Value 1 November 21, 2012
A number has sign and magnitude.
The sign of a number indicates its position/direction from zero.
The magnitude of a number indicates the distance from zero.
­5 ­4 ­3 ­2 ­1 0 1 2 3 4 5
The absolute value of a number is the distance of the
number from 0 on a number line.
Example 3
Use absolute value to determine the distance between
1 and 3 on a number line.
­5 ­4 ­3 ­2 ­1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Example 3
Use absolute value to determine the distance between
­4.5 and 3 on a number line.
­5 ­4 ­3 ­2 ­1 0 1 2 3 4 5
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3. Absolute Value 1 November 21, 2012
Where might we use absolute values?
Home work
Read pages 84 ­ 89 for more examples and explanations.
Principal Square Root definition on page 87
Questions 1­16 on pages 89 ­ 94 in work book
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4. Absolute Value 1 November 21, 2012
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