Question

what is the distance between 5 and -15 on a number line? units

Explanation:

Step1: Recall distance formula

The distance between two numbers \(a\) and \(b\) on a number line is \(|a - b|\) (or \(|b - a|\), since absolute value is symmetric).

Step2: Substitute values

Let \(a = 5\) and \(b=-15\). Then the distance is \(|5 - (-15)|\).

Step3: Simplify the expression

Simplify inside the absolute value: \(5 - (-15)=5 + 15 = 20\). Then \(|20| = 20\).

Answer:

20