IXL | Absolute value and integers: word problems

Francesca likes watching the show Engineering

Marvels.

In last night's episode, the engineering team visited a tall skyscraper and a deep mine. A banner at the bottom of the screen showed the elevation of each location the team visited.

Location	Elevation (m)
Top of the skyscraper	275
Bottom of the mine	– 260

Which location is closer to sea level?

top of the skyscraper

bottom of the mine

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Learn with an example

question

Zack's campground is close to two hiking trails with scenic destinations. One trail ends at an underground lake in the bottom of a small cave. The other trail ends at a mountain peak. The elevation of each destination is shown on the campground map.

Destination	Elevation (ft.)
Underground lake	– 350
Mountain peak	325

Which trail's destination is farther from sea level?

underground lake

mountain peak

key idea

Sea level has an elevation of 0 meters.

solution

The underground lake's elevation is negative, so it is below sea level. The mountain peak's elevation is positive, so it is above sea level.

To find the destination farther from sea level, use absolute value. Absolute value tells you how far each destination is from sea level.

Underground lake:	absolute value bar – 350 absolute value bar = 350
Mountain peak:	absolute value bar 325 absolute value bar = 325

The underground lake is 350 feet below sea level, and the mountain peak is only 325 feet above sea level. The underground lake is farther from sea level.

Looking for more? Try these:

Lesson: Absolute value

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Teacher tools

Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

O.9Integer inequalities with absolute values

O.8Put integers in order

Lesson: Absolute value

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