Question

A place is $37m$ above sea level and another is $35m$below sea level. What is the difference of level between the two places?

Answer 1

Let's calculate the distance between the given two places.

Let's take the the value of $37m$above sea level as $+37$ and $35m$ below sea level is $-37$

So, distance between two places = $\left|37-(-35)\right|$

Since absolute value of a number denotes the distance between zero and that number in a number line.

Also, if the given numbers are of like signs, let's add the absolute values directly and give the common sign for the result.

$\begin{array}{rcl}\left|37-(-35)\right|& =& \left|37+35\right|\\ & =& \left|72\right|\\ & =& 72\end{array}$