About this calculator
The Absolute Value Calculator finds the absolute value of any number — its distance from zero on the number line, regardless of direction.
What is absolute value?
The absolute value of a number, written |x|, is always positive or zero, because it measures distance rather than direction. For example, |7| = 7 and |-7| = 7, since both 7 and -7 are seven units away from zero. Absolute value strips away the sign of a number while keeping its magnitude.
How is absolute value calculated?
For any real number x, the absolute value is defined piecewise: |x| = x when x is zero or positive, and |x| = -x when x is negative (which turns the negative number positive). This calculator simply applies that rule to whatever number you enter.
Where is absolute value used?
Absolute value shows up whenever a "how far apart" or "how much difference" question doesn't care about direction — measuring error margins, distances between two points on a line, temperature differences, or the magnitude of a change in price or quantity. It's also a core building block in algebra for solving absolute value equations and inequalities.