Question

Difficulty: EasyProperties of Integers

What is the absolute difference between the smallest positive integer and the largest negative integer?

Answer: 2

Answer

2
The smallest positive integer is 1 and the largest negative integer is -1. The absolute difference between them is found by subtracting the two values and taking the absolute value: ∣1−(−1)∣=∣1+1∣=2|1 - (-1)| = |1 + 1| = 2.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the smallest positive integer.
1
The integer 0 is neither positive nor negative. The positive integers start at 1, making it the smallest positive integer.
2
Identify the largest negative integer.
-1
Negative integers increase in value as they get closer to zero. Therefore, -1 is the largest negative integer.
3
Calculate the absolute difference.
2
The absolute difference represents the total distance between the two numbers on the number line. Calculate this as ∣1−(−1)∣=∣1+1∣=2|1 - (-1)| = |1 + 1| = 2.

Key Concept

Properties of Integers (Number Line and Absolute Value)
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