1. The problem is to understand what the absolute value means. 2. The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line, regardless of direction. 3. The formula for absolute value is: $$|x| = \begin{cases} x & \text{if } x \geq 0 \\ -x & \text{if } x < 0 \end{cases}$$ 4. This means if $x$ is positive or zero, $|x|$ is just $x$. 5. If $x$ is negative, $|x|$ is the opposite of $x$ (which makes it positive). 6. For example, $|3| = 3$ because 3 is positive. 7. And $|-3| = -(-3) = 3$ because -3 is negative, so we take the opposite. 8. Absolute value is always zero or positive, never negative. 9. It is useful for measuring distances and magnitudes without considering direction.