Absolute Value Calculator
Distance from zero, and distance between any two numbers.
Distance from zero, and distance between any two numbers.
For the distance between two numbers.
Absolute value
7.5
|-7.5| — distance from zero
Absolute value is distance from zero, which is why it is never negative — a distance has no direction. The wider use is the second row: |a − b| is the distance between any two numbers regardless of which is larger, and that is what makes it the foundation of every error and tolerance measure.
How the Absolute Value Calculator works
Absolute value is distance from zero, which is why it is never negative — a distance has no direction. The wider use is the second reading: |a − b| is the distance between any two numbers regardless of which is larger, and that is what makes it the foundation of every error and tolerance measure.
Also known as: absolute value formula · modulus of a number · distance between two numbers · absolute difference calculator
Where to go next
The Absolute Value question rarely arrives on its own. These are the ones that usually come with it:
- Distance Formula Calculator — Distance between two points, which is Pythagoras in disguise.
- Percentage Difference Calculator — A symmetric comparison, where neither value is the reference.
- Average Calculator — Mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation.
- Percentage Calculator — Every common percentage question in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What is absolute value?
The distance of a number from zero, ignoring sign. |−7.5| is 7.5.
Why is absolute value never negative?
Because it measures a distance, and distances have no direction. The absolute value of zero is zero; everything else is positive.
How do I find the distance between two numbers?
Take the absolute value of their difference. |a − b| gives the same answer whichever way round you subtract.
Where is absolute value used?
Anywhere the size of an error matters but its direction does not — tolerances, deviations, convergence tests and every mean-absolute-error measure.
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