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A number line is a visual representation of numbers laid out in a straight path, often used in mathematics to make intuitive sense of numbers and their relationships.
It’s a perfect tool to help understand the concept of absolute value.
In a number line, each point represents a number, with increments evenly spaced. The center of a number line is usually marked by zero.
Positive numbers are placed to the right of zero, while negative numbers are to the left.

• Zero is the neutral point.
• Moving to the right increases the value.
• Moving to the left decreases the value.

By using a number line, you can visualize how far any number is from zero. This helps in understanding the concept of distance, which directly relates to absolute value as distance is always calculated from zero.

Distance on a number line refers to how far a number is from another number, usually from zero.
It's the count of units between numbers without considering direction.
When you think of distance on a number line, you focus purely on the amount of space between values. For example, if you stand at zero and walk to the number -4 on the number line, you have moved 4 steps to the left.
However, whether you go left or right, the distance measurement itself doesn't change.
The key characteristics of distance on a number line are:

• Always measured in positive units.
• Directed from zero to the selected number.
• Independent of the path direction - it doesn’t matter if you move left or right.

These properties help in determining the absolute value of any number, by taking the positive measure of its position from zero on the number line.

The concept of non-negativity in terms of absolute value is rooted in the idea that absolute values measure distance, and distance can never be negative.
When taking the absolute value of a number, you're determining how far that number is from zero on the number line, regardless of direction.
For instance, consider the number -4. When you find its absolute value, you're essentially measuring the number of steps it is from zero. Although -4 is a negative number, its absolute value is positive:

• The absolute value of -4 is 4.
• The absolute value of 4 is also 4.

This is because both numbers are 4 units away from zero, showcasing that the absolute value is inherently non-negative.
It summarizes only how much space a number covers from zero, which is always zero or a positive number.