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.
3.5 = |- 7/2|
Practice makes perfect
We want to complete the given statement. To do so, we will evaluate the absolute values on both sides.
3.5 |- 7/2|
The absolute value of a number is the distance between this number and 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.
With this in mind, let's simplify the right-hand side!
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|- 7/2|= 7/2
Next, to compare the two numbers, it might be easier for us to write this fraction as a decimal, so that both numbers are decimals.
7/2=3.5
We found that 72 is equal to 3.5! This means that the distance from - 72 to 0 is 3.5 units.
