That is called the "absolute value". For example, the absolute value of 5 is 5; the absolute value of -5 is also 5. If you are familiar with complex numbers, the absolute value of 4 + 3i, for example, is also 5.
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Numbers the same distance from zero (linearly) have the same "absolute value" whether positive or negative.
Opposite numbers.
Absolute value
For two numbers to be equidistant from zero, one must be the negative of the other. As one is the negative of the other, it is the additive inverse of that number. The sum of an number and its additive inverse is zero.
A number line has negative numbers to the left of zero, and -3.5 is a distance of 3.5 to the left.