SOLUTION: Why do you need absoulte values?

Question 130264This question is from textbook Algebra 2
: Why do you need absoulte values? This question is from textbook Algebra 2

Found 2 solutions by ilana, ms.conerja:
Answer by ilana(307) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
One reason that comes to mind is for distances. Suppose you don't know if a is further away or b is further away. Then the distance between them might come out to be negative if you just do a-b or b-a, and that negative amount can mess things up. But no matter what, the absolute value of (a-b)= the absolute value of (b-a), which is the distance between them.
Another reason is because x^2 is always positive, so 2^2=4 and (-2)^2=4. But that means that if you know a^2=4 and you need to find what a is, you can't tell if it is 2 or -2, but you can tell that the absolute value of a is 2. If you have a more complicated problem, this thing (absolute value of a) that you know is 2 could be helpful.
Answer by ms.conerja(2) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
so you can be better at math and what you are working on
RELATED QUESTIONS
how do you write an absoulte value for this problem: all numbers less than 7 and greater... (answered by nyc_function)
Why do you need definitions to write proofs... (answered by lynnlo)
why do we need... (answered by MathLover1)
why do you do this (answered by Alan3354)
why is it compicated to do math? why is there so many different kinds of math? why do... (answered by rwm)
When solving a linear inequality, do you always need to solve for y? Why or why... (answered by solver91311)
� When solving a linear inequality, do you always need to solve for y? Why or why... (answered by stanbon)
When simplifying a rational expression, why do you need to factor the numerator and the... (answered by rapaljer)
why do we need study... (answered by rfer)