1. **State the problem:** We need to find the difference in weight between the panda and the polar bear. 2. **Formula:** The difference between two numbers $a$ and $b$ is given by $$\text{Difference} = |a - b|$$ where $|\cdot|$ denotes the absolute value. 3. **Apply the formula:** Let $a = 502$ (polar bear's weight) and $b = 273$ (panda's weight). 4. Calculate the difference: $$\text{Difference} = |502 - 273|$$ 5. Simplify inside the absolute value: $$\text{Difference} = |229|$$ 6. Since 229 is positive, the absolute value is just 229. 7. **Final answer:** The difference in weight between the two bears is **229 pounds**.