ABS and MOD in MySQL - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - ABS and MOD

Start with a number

↓

Get absolute value

↓

Return result

ABS returns the positive value of a number. MOD returns the remainder after division.

Execution Sample

MySQL

SELECT ABS(-7) AS abs_val, MOD(17, 5) AS mod_val;

This query calculates the absolute value of -7 and the remainder of 17 divided by 5.

Execution Table

Step	Function	Input	Calculation	Result
1	ABS	-7	Remove negative sign	7
2	MOD	17, 5	17 divided by 5 is 3 remainder 2	2
3	END	-	All calculations done	Query returns abs_val=7, mod_val=2

💡 All functions evaluated, results ready to return.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After ABS	After MOD	Final
abs_val	-7	7	7	7
mod_val	17, 5	17, 5	2	2

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does ABS(-7) return 7 and not -7?

ABS removes the negative sign to give the positive value, as shown in execution_table row 1.

How does MOD(17, 5) calculate the remainder?

MOD divides 17 by 5, finds the quotient 3, then calculates remainder 2, as shown in execution_table row 2.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the result of ABS(-7) at step 1?

A 7

B -7

C 0

D 14

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' column in execution_table row 1.

At which step does MOD(17, 5) return the value 2?

A Step 1

B Step 3

C Step 2

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Function' and 'Result' columns in execution_table row 2.

If the input to MOD was MOD(20, 6), what would the result be?

A 3

B 2

C 4

D 5

💡 Hint

Think about dividing 20 by 6 and finding the remainder.

Concept Snapshot

ABS(num): Returns the positive value of num.
MOD(num, divisor): Returns remainder of num divided by divisor.
Use ABS to remove negative signs.
Use MOD to find remainders after division.
Both return numeric results.

Full Transcript

This lesson shows how ABS and MOD functions work in MySQL. ABS takes a number and returns its positive value by removing any negative sign. MOD takes two numbers, divides the first by the second, and returns the remainder. For example, ABS(-7) returns 7 because it removes the negative sign. MOD(17, 5) returns 2 because 17 divided by 5 is 3 with remainder 2. The execution table traces these steps clearly. Understanding these helps when you want to work with absolute values or find remainders in your database queries.