Question

What is the distance between the two points on a number line?

Column A


Column B












--- ABC


1.


X = 4, Y = –17









--- ABC


2.


P = 23, Q = 8









--- ABC


3.


U = –1, V = –14









--- ABC


4.


J = –3, K = 18




A.


13


B.


15


C.


21

Answer 1

Let's take 6, 12 as our first example. We're trying to find out the difference between the two...take 12 minus 6 and you get a difference of 6 between them.

Now the first problem, 4, -17...put the larger one first and subtract the smaller one. 4 minus negative 17 is the same as 4 plus 17 which is 21.

23-8 is 15, of course.

-1-14 is -15, but the difference between something can't be negative, so it's just 15.

18-(-3) = 18+3 = 21.