Answer
$|-20| < |-50|,\quad$ fill the box with $ < .$
Work Step by Step
The absolute value of a real number a, denoted by $|a|$, is the distance from 0 to a
on a number line. Because absolute value describes a distance, it is never negative.
---
The distance from $-20$ to zero is $20$ units ,
$|-20|=20,\qquad$
The distance from $-50$ to zero is $50$ units,
$|-50|=50$,
and, since $20 < 50$ we write
$|-20| < |-50|,\quad$ fill the box with $ < .$