Question 1091885
<br>In everyday language, we nearly always use "difference" to mean how far apart two numbers are, without regard to which one is larger; so the difference is always a positive number (or maybe zero).  If I have $10 and you have $7, the difference between what I have and what you have is $3.
{{{abs(10-7) = 3}}}<br>If I have the $7 and you have the $10, then the difference between what I have and what you have is still $3.
{{{abs(7-10) = 3}}}<br>
So with the way "difference" is used in everyday language, the difference between two numbers x and y is
{{{abs(x-y)}}}<br>
But in nearly all applications in mathematics, the "difference between two numbers x and y" is
{{{x-y}}}
which means the difference can be negative.  The difference between 10 and 7 is
{{{10-7 = 3}}}<br>
But in most contexts in mathematics, the difference between 7 and 10 is
{{{7-10 = -3}}}<br>
So you need to be aware of the context in which the term "difference" is used.