The absolute value of a real number is defined as the principal square root of the square of a number.

The absolute value is the number of spaces from a number to 0.

The absolute value symbol is where x = real number

The principal square root is when the square root is given and the answer is positive. For example √25 = 5

So when we look for an absolute value of a number (that number being the one inside the absolute value symbol), we look for the number squared and then square rooted.

For Example : The absolute value of $latex \mid 5 \mid$

= √5²

√25

5

Therefore the absolute value of the number 5 is 5