You can find absolute value without a number line, too. The sign of the number tells its direction on a number line. The numeral tells its distance from 0.
For example, to plot on a number line, you start at 0 and move left 12 units. Since is 12 units away from 0, |absolute value bar
|absolute value bar
=
Let's try it with some more numbers!
|absolute value bar
14
|absolute value bar
=
|absolute value bar
|absolute value bar
=
|absolute value bar
67
|absolute value bar
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