Question 518704: How do I evaluate |-6|?
Answer by tinbar(133)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! In general |x| = x if x>=0, otherwise |x| = -x (the case where x<0)
This is a fancy way of saying, that if the number within the absolute value is positive then it's absolute value is itself. |0|=0, |1|=1, |2| =2, |3|=3...
Also, if the number within the absolute value is negative, then we take that number and multiply it by -1 yielding in the positive version of the number.
|-1| = -1*-1=1, |-2|=-2*-1=2...
So basically, to take the absolute value of a number is to take it's 'magnitude,' which is to say the number part while ignoring the poitive/negativeness of the number.
So in this case, |-6| = 6
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