Absolute Difference Calculator

What is Absolute Difference?

The absolute difference between two numbers is a measure of how far apart the numbers are, regardless of their order. It simply calculates the distance between the numbers on a number line, ensuring that the result is always positive. The absolute difference is particularly useful in situations where only the magnitude of the difference matters, not the direction.

The formula to calculate the absolute difference between two numbers, A and B, is given by:

$$\text{Absolute Difference} = |A – B|$$

$$$$In this formula, the vertical bars | | denote the absolute value, which means the result is always positive, regardless of whether A is greater than B or vice versa.

Examples of Absolute Difference Formula Calculations

Let’s explore a few examples to understand how the absolute difference is calculated:

Example 1:

• Numbers: A = 7, B = 3
• Calculation:
  • Subtract B from A: $7 – 3 = 4$
    
  • The result is already positive, so the absolute difference is $4$.
• Absolute Difference: $|7 – 3| = 4$
  

Example 2:

• Numbers: A = 2, B = 8
• Calculation:
  • Subtract A from B: $8 – 2 = 6$
    
  • The result is positive, so the absolute difference is $6$.
• Absolute Difference: $|2 – 8| = 6$
  

Example 3:

• Numbers: A = -5, B = -9
• Calculation:
  • Subtract B from A: $-5-(-9)=-5+9=4$
  • The result is positive, so the absolute difference is 4.
• Absolute Difference: $|-5 – (-9)| = 4$
  

In each of these examples, the absolute difference represents the “distance” between the two numbers on a number line, regardless of their relative positions. This makes the absolute difference a simple yet powerful tool in mathematical and real-world applications where only the magnitude of the difference is of interest.