Lesson 1
1. Lesson 1
1.12. Lesson 1 Summary
Module 7: Absolute Value and Reciprocal Functions
Lesson 1 Summary
In this lesson you investigated the following questions:
- How can you determine the absolute value of a mathematical expression?
- Under what circumstances is the absolute value of an expression used to solve a problem?
van Gogh, Vincent. Irises, oil on canvas, 1889. (J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles).
The absolute value of a real number can be thought of as the magnitude or value of the number with no regard to its sign. In this lesson you learned to evaluate absolute value expressions. You determined the absolute value of real numbers by identifying their distance from zero on a number line. You also determined the absolute value of an expression by simplifying expressions and then considering the magnitude of the result.
You learned that the concept of absolute value can be used to determine distances, where negative values have no meaning. You also learned to use absolute values to solve problems related to temperature differences and stock values. In these cases, absolute value is used when negative differences are not wanted.
What do you think the graph of the absolute values of a set of integers looks like? You will find out in the next lesson as you study absolute value functions.