The absolute value of a number is its distance from 0 on the number line. Since distance is always greater than or equal to 0, the absolute value of any number is greater than or equal to 0. The absolute value of a non-negative number is equal to the number, while the absolute value of a negative number is equal to its opposite.
Now, we want to complete the given statement using one of the inequality signs or an equal sign.
- 7 |3|
Since 3 is a non-negative number, its absolute value is the number itself.
|3|= 3
We will plot the numbers on a number line to see which number is greater than the other.
The number that is farther to the left is lesser. The farthest to the left is - 7, so -7 is less than |3|.
- 7 < |3|
