Question Video: Evaluating Numerical Expressions Involving Absolute Value and Fractions Mathematics

Video Transcript

Evaluate the absolute value of negative four-ninths multiplied by negative one-third.

The absolute value of any number is its distance from zero. This means it will always give us a positive answer. The absolute value of negative 𝑎 is 𝑎 and the absolute value of 𝑎 is also 𝑎, where 𝑎 is a positive constant.

In this question, the absolute value of negative four-ninths is equal to four-ninths. We, therefore, need to multiply four-ninths by negative one-third. We know that multiplying a positive number by a negative number gives a negative answer. This means that four-ninths multiplied by negative one-third is negative.

Multiplying the numerators four and one gives us four. And multiplying the denominators nine and three gives us 27. Four-ninths multiplied by negative one-third is equal to negative four twenty-sevenths or four over 27.

This means that the magnitude or absolute value of negative four-ninths multiplied by negative one-third is negative four twenty-sevenths.