How do you simplify |2| + |-6| - |3| - |-4||2|+|6||3||4|?

1 Answer
Jul 8, 2016

11

Explanation:

The long bars that surround numbers are absolute values. Absolute values are the distance from 00 to that number. They always remain positive, because only the distance, not the direction, is taken into account when absolute value is measured on the number line.

A simple way to remember the concept without necessarily understanding it: the absolute value of any number is always that number, positive. For example:

abs(-6) = 6|6|=6

or

abs(100) = 100|100|=100

Moving on to your question:

abs2 + abs(-6) - abs(3) - abs(-4)|2|+|6||3||4|

This simplifies to:

2 + 6 - 3 - 42+634

We can combine these numbers to get:

11