To determine the value of | -9 | + | 5 |, it is essential to understand the concept of absolute value. The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on the number line, regardless of direction.
For the first part, | -9 |, since -9 is 9 units away from zero, its absolute value is 9. Hence, | -9 | = 9.
For the second part, | 5 |, as 5 is already positive and also 5 units away from zero, its absolute value is simply 5. Therefore, | 5 | = 5.
Now, we can add the two results together: | -9 | + | 5 | = 9 + 5 = 14.
This calculation confirms that the correct answer is the sum of 9 and 5, which equals 14.