Answer :
To find the absolute difference between two numbers, like 15.6 and -39.1, you'll want to calculate the difference between them and then take the absolute value.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:
Calculate the difference:
Subtract the second number from the first number:
[tex]15.6 - (-39.1)[/tex]
When subtracting a negative number, it is the same as adding the absolute value of that number. Therefore,
[tex]15.6 + 39.1 = 54.7[/tex]
Take the absolute value:
The absolute value function removes any negative sign, which means it's a way to measure distance between two numbers on a number line, regardless of direction. In this case, since our calculated result was 54.7, which is already positive, the absolute value is:
[tex]|54.7| = 54.7[/tex]
Therefore, the absolute difference between 15.6 and -39.1 is 54.7.