← Back to lesson 6.NOS.C.8.c · For families

📏 Absolute Value vs. Order

What we're learning

I can tell the difference between comparing absolute values (size/distance from 0) and comparing the actual order of two numbers.

🏠 Try this at home

Ask: which is the lower number, −7 or −2? Then ask which is farther from zero. They have different answers — that's the whole idea.

Words to know

Absolute value: The distance of a number from 0, written |x|. Always zero or positive.
Magnitude: The size of a number ignoring its sign — its absolute value.
Order: Which number is actually greater or less, signs included.