Question

Which of the following correctly uses absolute value to show the distance between −50 and 12? |−50 − 12| = |−62| = −62 units

|−50 + 12| = |−38| = 38 units
|−50 + 12| = |−38| = −38 units
|−50 − 12| = |−62| = 62 u nits

Answer 1

C. 62 units

Explanation:

The absolute value of a number A is the positive distance between 0 and the number A (you can think this distance as the distance measured with a ruler from 0 to the number). For example:

|-2|=2 , |25|=25, |-3|=3, |-25.3|=25.3

Note that the absolte value is always positive.

The distance between two numbers P,Q in the real line is the absolute value of the difference between the two points:

`d=|P-Q|`

Hence, the distnce between P=-50 and Q=12 is equal to

`d=|P-Q|=|-50-12|=|-62|=62`.