Determine the absolute value.
A)-25,000
B)25,000

Question

Determine the absolute value. 
A)-25,000 
B)25,000

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the given hexadecimal number, the most significant bit (leftmost bit) represents the sign. If this bit is 0, the number is positive, and if it is 1, the number is negative. In this case, the most significant bit is 1, which means the number is negative. 
To find the absolute value, we need to convert the hexadecimal number to decimal:

11ebb9394a3ce0b49e6cdf78c9afdd9d
= -19030814155814465292619069607646525955 (in decimal)

The absolute value is the distance of the number from zero on a number line, so it is always non-negative. Therefore, the absolute value of this number is 25,000 (which is also the closest choice to the actual value). Absolute value is the distance a number is from zero, so it will always be a positive value. Therefore, the answer cannot be negative, making option A incorrect. The hexadecimal number given translates to a very large positive decimal value, so the answer must be B.

Determine the Absolute Value