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I'm embarrassed to ask this question, but my child has the following homework question:

"Use absolute value to describe the relationship between a negative credit card balance and the amount owed."

I'm not sure for what it is they're looking. Clearly a -$25 balance means you have $25 credit. However, the absolute value of -$25 is $25, and positive balances are money you owe.

Is there a simple formula describing this relationship?

wadesworld
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2 Answers2

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The absolute value of the credit card balance is exactly the amount of money owed

Master Thunder
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a -\$25 balance does not mean you have \$25 credit but that you owe \$25, the absolute value of -\$25.

qwr
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  • I think I see your point. If you start with a zero balance and charge $25, the credit card company will record it on their books as -$25. However, the statement they issue you will show |-$25| or $25. On the other hand if you pay to much and have say a +$50 balance on their books, their statement will show you have a -$50 balance, so I'm not sure how that fits. – wadesworld Jan 31 '14 at 04:55
  • The question starts off that you have a negative balance, so the amount you owe is the absolute value. Paying the credit card company is not part of the question – qwr Jan 31 '14 at 04:57