Absolute Difference Calculator

| x - y |

x

Enter a number for x in the equation

| x - y |

y

Enter a number for y in the equation

| x - y |

Calculate

Absolute Difference Common Questions

What is absolute difference?

The absolute difference between two numbers is the non-negative difference between them, regardless of their order.

Why is absolute difference important?

The absolute difference |x-y| is useful in many contexts, such as measuring the distance between two points on a number line or analyzing deviations in data.

How do you calculate absolute difference?

To calculate absolute difference |x-y|, subtract y from x to get the value of x - y. Then take the absolute value of that number (effectively removing any negative sign that may be there).

Another way to think of it is as follows :

If x ≥ y then :
|x - y| = x - y

Otherwise if x < y then :
|x - y| = y - x

Absolute Difference Example Calculations

Example Problem:

Find the absolute difference between 8 and 3.

Step 1: Identify the given values

From the problem, we are given two values:

• Value a: 8
• Value b: 3

Step 2: Write out the formula and substitute

The formula for absolute difference is: | a - b | = | 8 - 3 |

Step 3: Find the difference between the values

8 - 3 = 5

Step 4: Apply the absolute value

Since the result is positive (5), the absolute value is the same as the number itself.
| 5 | = 5

Final Answer:

The absolute difference between 8 and 3 is 5.