The absolute value of a number is the positive value of that number. It tells you how far away from 0 a number is on the number line. The symbol for absolute value is a set of vertical bars.
Taking the absolute value of a positive number doesn’t change that number’s value. For example,
|3| = 3
|12| = 12
|145| = 145
However, taking the absolute value of a negative number changes it to a positive number:
|–5| = 5
|–10| = 10
|–212| = 212