Vertical bar facts for kids

A vertical bar is a straight line symbol that looks like "|". People call it by different names, like "pipe," "vertical slash," or just "bar." You can find this symbol in many places, from math problems to computer code. It helps to give special meanings to numbers, words, or commands.

What is the Vertical Bar Symbol?

The vertical bar symbol is a simple straight line. It is often found on computer keyboards. You usually type it by holding down the "Shift" key and pressing the backslash (\) key. This symbol is used in many different ways, depending on where you see it.

Vertical Bar in Math

In mathematics, the vertical bar has a few important jobs:

• Absolute Value: If you see a number like `|5|` or `|-5|`, the vertical bars mean "absolute value." This tells you how far a number is from zero, no matter if it's positive or negative. So, `|5|` is 5, and `|-5|` is also 5.
• Divisibility: When a vertical bar is placed between two numbers, like `a | b`, it means "a divides b." This means that b can be divided by a with no remainder. For example, `2 | 4` means 2 divides 4 evenly.
• Determinants: In more advanced math with matrices (which are like grids of numbers), vertical bars around a matrix mean its determinant. The determinant is a special number calculated from the matrix.

Double Vertical Bars in Math

Sometimes, you will see two vertical bars together, like "||". These also have special meanings in math:

• Parallel Lines: In geometry, if you see `ℓ₁ || ℓ₂`, it means that line `ℓ₁` is parallel to line `ℓ₂`. Parallel lines are lines that never meet, no matter how far they are extended.
• Norm of a Vector: In higher math, `||v||` means the "norm" of a vector. A vector is a quantity that has both size and direction. The norm tells you the "length" or "magnitude" of that vector.

Vertical Bar in Computers

The vertical bar is very useful in computer programming and commands. It often acts as a "pipe" operator. This means it takes the output (result) of one command and sends it as the input to another command. It's like a pipeline for information. For example, you might use it to sort a list of files.

Images for kids

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  Full character set of IBM's Code page 437 showing the broken bar symbol.

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  An example of a dot printer showing ASCII characters.

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  A US International keyboard showing the broken bar on the keycap, even though typing Shift + that key produces the solid vertical bar.

See also

In Spanish: Pleca para niños