how do you evaluate these numbers?

/-48/-/-20/

-/-51/
I have looked every where and I need help please.

3 answers

Basically, the number inside the / / is always positive. Only if it has a negative sign on the OUTSIDE, is it negative. The / / means "absolute value" which is simply how far away from 0 on a number line the number is. So, /-48/ is 48 spaces from 0, so it's value is 48.
Hope this makes sense!
does it look like this?

│-48│ - │-20│

if so, you are dealing with "absolute value".
it simply means take the positive value of the number you are dealing with, so ...

│-48│ - │-20│
= 48 - 20
= 28

and -│-51│
= - 51
By take away the numbers.