Question

Use absolute value to express the distance between -12 and -15 on the number line.

What's the distance between -12 and -15?
a) -27
b) -3
c) 3
d) 27

Answer 1

The distance between -12 and -15 on the number line is determined by taking the absolute value of their difference, which is 3 units. This corresponds to option c) 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

To express the distance between -12 and -15 on the number line using absolute value, we subtract one number from the other and take the absolute value to ensure the distance is positive. The distance between two points on a number line is always a positive value because it represents the 'length' between the points, regardless of direction.

The calculation is as follows:

• Distance = |(-12) - (-15)|
• Distance = |12 - 15|
• Distance = |-3|
• Distance = 3

Therefore, the distance between -12 and -15 is 3 units on the number line, which corresponds to option c) 3.