Absolute Value and Distance
Look at the number line below. Drag the slider to change the value of a. The distance of a from 0 on the number line will be shown, as well as the absolute value of a. Answer the following questions.
1. As a gets larger in the positive direction, what happens to the distance from 0? To the absolute value?
2. As a gets more negative, what happens to the distance from 0? To the absolute value?
3. Is there a value of a that creates a negative absolute value?
4. How are absolute value and distance from 0 related?
5. Give an example of two different numbers that have the same absolute value. Explain why they have the same absolute value.