Question 112393
Let's try to straighten out the confusion by using a rule. Whatever the sign of a quantity 
inside the absolute value signs, when you remove the absolute value signs that quantity
will be positive.
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So lets start with:
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{{{abs(-8) + abs(+3)}}}
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You can remove the absolute value signs around the -8, but when you do that you change it
to a +8. And you can remove the absolute value signs around the +3, and it remains a +3.
So the problem becomes:
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{{{abs(-8) + abs(+3) = +8 + 3 = +11}}}
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Now let's look at what you believed to be equivalent:
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{{{abs(-8 + 3)}}}
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First you have to algebraically combine the terms inside the absolute value signs:
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{{{-8 + 3 = -5}}}
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This converts your answer to:
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{{{abs(-5)}}}
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And applying the rule ... remove the absolute value signs, and make sure the quantity
they contained now has a plus sign. This means:
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{{{abs(-8 + 3)=abs(-5) = +5}}}
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Notice that the two answers ... +11 and +5 ... are not the same. The correct answer to
this problem is +11. 
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Hope this helps you to understand absolute values a little better.