Final answer:
The absolute value of a complex number is the distance from the origin in the complex plane and is calculated using the distance formula or the Pythagorean theorem.
Step-by-step explanation:
The absolute value of a real number is the distance from 0 on the number line. The absolute value of a complex number is the distance from the origin in the complex plane. Both are distances and therefore both are positive values. To calculate the absolute value of a complex number, you need to use the distance formula or the Pythagorean theorem.