Find the absolute value of any number or expression instantly
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What is Absolute Value?
The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line — always zero or positive. Written as |x|, it equals x when x ≥ 0 and −x when x < 0.
The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line, always a non-negative result. Use this free absolute value calculator to find |x| for any number or simple arithmetic expression — such as |-7|, |3 - 10|, or |2*(4-9)| — with a clear step-by-step breakdown showing exactly how the answer is reached.
Absolute value measures a number's distance from zero on the number line, ignoring direction. Written as |x|, it equals x when x is zero or positive, and −x when x is negative. For example, |−8| = 8 and |5| = 5.
Yes. The calculator accepts simple arithmetic expressions using +, −, *, / and parentheses. It evaluates the expression first, then applies the absolute value. For example, entering 3 − 10 gives |−7| = 7.
The absolute value of zero is zero. Zero has no sign and is exactly at the origin of the number line, so its distance from zero is 0.
Because absolute value represents distance, and distance cannot be negative. Whether you travel 5 steps left or 5 steps right, you have moved 5 steps. That physical distance interpretation is why |x| ≥ 0 for all real numbers.