Question

Negative numbers are less than positive numbers. Does this mean that the absolute value of a negative number must be less than the absolute value if a positive number? Explain

Answer 1

The absolute value of any number will always be positive. For example:

|6| = 6

|-13| = 13

Notice that the absolute value of -13 is greater than 6. This is because absolute value is the "distance" of a number from on a number line. Because -13 is farther away from 0 than 6 is, the absolute value of -13 is larger than 6.