7.3 Small Group · Group 1
Second Practice Form · Re-Teach, Homework or Retake · Same Standard, New Problems
Visual Models · Integers and Absolute Value · Integer · Procedural Fluency
- An integer is a whole number that can be positive, negative, or zero. The absolute value of a number is how far it is from zero on the number line. Distance is never negative. We'll walk through a worked example, try one together, then you'll try a few with hints right there when you need them.
- I want to find the absolute value of -6, written |-6|.
- I find -6 on the number line. It sits 6 steps to the left of zero.
- Distance does not care about direction, so -6 is 6 units from zero.
- So |-6| = 6. Even though -6 is negative, its absolute value is positive 6.
- Integers and Absolute Value (Enteros y valor absoluto) — Integers are whole numbers and their opposites; absolute value is their distance from zero.
- Integer (Número entero) — Whole numbers and their opposites, like -2, -1, 0, 1, 2.
- Positive (Positivo) — A number bigger than zero, to the right of zero on a number line.
- Negative (Negativo) — A number smaller than zero, to the left of zero on a number line.
- Absolute value (Valor absoluto) — How far a number is from zero. It is never negative.
- Opposite (Opuesto) — Two numbers the same distance from zero, on opposite sides, like 3 and -3.
- A common mistake in Integers and Absolute Value is judging size by the digits alone instead of position on the number line — students think -8 is 'more' than -3 because 8 > 3, when really -8 sits farther left (colder, deeper, or lower) and is actually the SMALLER integer. Absolute value measures distance from zero and is always positive or zero, but that distance does not decide which integer is greater — only left-to-right order on the number line does. Before you submit, ask: am I comparing distance from zero (absolute value) or position on the number line (greater/less than)?
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1 MULTIPLE CHOICE
Which statement about absolute value is TRUE?
- A|-4| = |4| because both are 4 units from zero
- B|-4| = -4 because the number is negative
- C|4| > |-4| because positive is always bigger
- D|-4| = 0 because negatives cancel out
✏️ Workspace & Solution Steps
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2 MULTIPLE CHOICE
What is |−3/4|?
- A3/4
- B−3/4
- C4/3
- D0
✏️ Workspace & Solution Steps -
3 MULTIPLE CHOICE
Which number has the LEAST absolute value: −1.5, 0.75, −1/4, or 2?
- A−1/4
- B0.75
- C−1.5
- D2
✏️ Workspace & Solution Steps -
4 MULTIPLE CHOICE
On a frosty morning at the mountain cache, the thermometer reads -8 degrees. What is the absolute value of -8?
- A8
- B-8
- C0
- D16
✏️ Workspace & Solution Steps
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5 ERROR ANALYSIS
The Missing Sign Mistake
- 1Problem:Find the absolute value of -9.
- 2Student's thinking:The number inside the bars is negative, so I should keep the negative sign in my answer.
- 3Student's answer:|-9| = -9
Which step contains the error? Explain the mathematical misconception and write the correct calculation below.
✏️ Corrected Mathematical Work & Explanation -
6 ERROR ANALYSIS
Confusing Opposite with Absolute Value
- 1Problem:Complete the table for the integer 9: find its absolute value and its opposite.
- 2Student's thinking:Absolute value and opposite both just make a number positive, so they should give the same answer as each other.
- 3Student's answer:Absolute value of 9 = 9, and opposite of 9 = 9.
Which step contains the error? Explain the mathematical misconception and write the correct calculation below.
✏️ Corrected Mathematical Work & Explanation
Writing Task: Justify why your mathematical solution is accurate and complete.