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Ch. R - Review of Basic Concepts
Lial - College Algebra 13th Edition
Lial13th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136881063Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksLial 13th EditionCh. R - Review of Basic ConceptsProblem 11
Chapter 1, Problem 11

Evaluate each expression. |-10|

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1
Recognize that the vertical bars around a number represent the absolute value, which is the distance of the number from zero on the number line, always expressed as a non-negative value.
Write the expression as \(| -10 |\), which means the absolute value of -10.
Recall that the absolute value of any negative number is its positive counterpart, so \(| -10 | = 10\).
Therefore, the expression simplifies to 10.
No further simplification is needed since absolute value results are always non-negative.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Absolute Value

The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line, regardless of direction. It is always non-negative. For example, |-10| equals 10 because -10 is 10 units away from zero.
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Parabolas as Conic Sections Example 1

Number Line Understanding

Understanding the number line helps visualize absolute value as the distance from zero. Negative numbers lie to the left of zero, and their absolute value is the positive distance to zero.
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The Slope of a Line

Evaluating Expressions

Evaluating expressions involves simplifying or calculating the value of a given mathematical expression. Here, it means applying the absolute value operation to the number inside the bars.
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