Understand The Relationship Between Absolute Value and Order
Videos to help Grade 6 students apply understanding of order and absolute value when examining real world scenarios.
New York State Common Core Math Grade 6, Module 3, Lesson 13
Lesson 13 Student Outcomes
Students apply understanding of order and absolute value when examining real world scenarios. Students realize, for instance, that the depth of a location below sea level is the absolute value of a negative number, while the height of an object above sea level is the absolute value of a positive number.
A radio disc jockey reports that the temperature outside his studio has changed degrees since he came on the air this morning. Discuss with your group what listeners can conclude from this report.
Exercises
2. Jami’s bank account statement shows the transactions below. Represent each transaction as a rational number describing how it changes Jami’s account balance, then order the rational numbers from greatest to least. Explain why the rational numbers that you chose appropriately reflect the given transactions.
3. During the summer, Madison monitors the water level in her parents’ swimming pool to make sure it is not too far above or below normal. The table below shows the numbers she recorded in July and August to represent how the water levels compare to normal. Order the rational numbers from least to greatest. Explain why the rational numbers that you chose appropriately reflect the given water levels.
4. Changes in the weather can be predicted by changes in the barometric pressure. Over several weeks, Stephanie recorded changes in barometric pressure seen on her barometer to compare to local weather forecasts. Her observations are recorded in the table below. Use rational numbers to record the indicated changes in the pressure in the second row of the table. Order the rational numbers from least to greatest. Explain why the rational numbers that you chose appropriately represent the given pressure changes.
Example 2: Using Absolute Value to Solve Real-World Problems
The captain of a fishing vessel is standing on the deck at 23 feet above sea level. He holds a rope tied to his fishing net that is below him underwater at a depth of 38 feet.
Draw a diagram using a number line, then use absolute value to compare the lengths of rope in and out of the water.
Lesson 13 Summary
When comparing values in real world situations, descriptive words will help you to determine if the number represents a positive or negative number. Making this distinction is critical when solving problems in the real world. Also critical is to understand how an inequality statement about an absolute value compares to an inequality statement about the number itself.
(Lesson 13 in the video starts at 11:55)
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