Absolute Value

The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on a number line . For instance, $4$ and $-4$ have the same absolute value ( $4$ ).

So, the absolute value of a positive number is just the number itself, and the absolute value of a negative number is its opposite. The absolute value of $0$ is $0$ .

Easy!

The absolute value of $x$ is written as $\left|x\right|$ . So,

$\begin{array}{l}\left|4\right|=4\\ \left|-4\right|=4\\ \left|54221.997\right|=54221.997\end{array}$

$\left|-\frac{1}{4}\right|=\frac{1}{4}$

See also:

Absolute Value Functions

Absolute Value Inequalities