On a number line, what is the distance between −17 and 9?
We can start by finding the absolute value of both numbers and then subtracting them:
|−17| = 17
|9| = 9
So the distance between −17 and 9 is:
|−17 − 9| = |-26| = 26
Therefore, the distance between −17 and 9 on the number line is 26 units.