Absolute Difference Calculator
Calculator Use
Use this calculator to find the absolute difference between two numbers. Enter 2 real numbers for x and y. The absolute difference between two real numbers x and y is
\[ \big| \, x - y \, \big| \]What is Absolute Difference?
Absolute difference is the size of the difference between any two numbers. You can think of this as the distance between the two numbers on a number line. Whether the numbers are positive or negative, absolute difference tells you the value of this distance.
Examples of Absolute Difference Formula Calculations:
1. Find the absolute difference between 3 and 9.
\[ \big| \, x - y \, \big|\] \[ = \big| \,3 - 9 \, \big|\] \[ = \big| \,-6 \, \big| = \;6\]The difference between 3 and 9 on a number line is 6 units.
2. Find the absolute difference between -3 and 9.
\[ \big| \, x - y \, \big|\] \[ = \big| \,(-3) - 9 \, \big|\] \[ = \big| \,-3 - 9 \, \big|\] \[ = \big| \,-12 \, \big| = \;12\]The difference between -3 and 9 on a number line is 12 units.
3. Find the absolute difference between -3 and -9.
\[ \big| \, x - y \, \big| \] \[ = \big| \,(-3) - (-9) \, \big|\] \[ = \big| \,-3 + 9 \, \big|\] \[ = \big| \,6 \, \big| = \;6\]The difference between -3 and -9 on a number line is 6 units.