Question

What is the distance between -1 1/2 +5. Find absolute value

Answer 1

To find the absolute value of -1 1/2 +5​ you make the addition:

You can write the mixed number also as -3/2 (because -1 is equal to -2/2 and -2/2 and 1/2 is -3/2).

You add fractions as follow:

`(a)/(b)+(c)/(d)=(a\cdot d+b\cdot c)/(b\cdot d)`

You can write the 5 as 5/1:

`-(3)/(2)+(5)/(1)=(-3\cdot1+5\cdot2)/(2\cdot1)=(-3+10)/(2)=(7)/(2)`

As the addition of the given numbers is 7/2, the absolute value or the distance is:

`\lvert\pm a\rvert=a`

`\lvert-1(1)/(2)+5\rvert=\lvert(7)/(2)\rvert=(7)/(2)`Then, the distance is 7/2