Lesson 3: Understand Absolute Value of Rational Numbers6.NOS.8

I can…

I can find the absolute value of a rational number — an integer, fraction, or decimal — as its distance from zero.

Key words

• Integers and Absolute Value — Integers are whole numbers and their opposites; absolute value is their distance from zero.
• Integer — Whole numbers and their opposites, like -2, -1, 0, 1, 2.
• Positive — A number bigger than zero, to the right of zero on a number line.
• Negative — A number smaller than zero, to the left of zero on a number line.
• Absolute value — How far a number is from zero. It is never negative.
• Opposite — Two numbers the same distance from zero, on opposite sides, like 3 and -3.
• Rational number — A number that can be written as a fraction of two integers, with a bottom number that is not zero.

Steps

1. I want to find the absolute value of -6, written |-6|.
2. I find -6 on the number line. It sits 6 steps to the left of zero.
3. Distance does not care about direction, so -6 is 6 units from zero.
4. So |-6| = 6. Even though -6 is negative, its absolute value is positive 6.

Try it

Which integer has an absolute value of 8 and is located to the LEFT of zero on the number line?

Check your answer

-8

To the left of zero means negative. The integer -8 has an absolute value of 8 because it is 8 units from zero.

Sentence starter

I know ___ because ___.

Goal: I can explain absolute value using the words distance, zero, opposite, and rational number.