To find the distance between $5.3$ and $-2.8$ on the number line, we need to calculate the absolute difference between the two numbers.

The formula to find the distance between two points $a$ and $b$ on a number line is: $\text{Distance} = |a - b|$

In this case: $\text{Distance} = |5.3 - (-2.8)|$

Simplify inside the absolute value: $= |5.3 + 2.8|$ $= |8.1|$ $= 8.1$

So, the distance between $5.3$ and $-2.8$ is 8.1 units.

Would you like further details or have any questions?

Here are some related questions to explore this topic further:

1. How do you calculate the distance between any two points on a number line?
2. What is the significance of absolute value when calculating distances?
3. How would the calculation change if both numbers were negative?
4. How is this concept applied in real-world scenarios?
5. How can we represent distances on a coordinate plane in two dimensions?

Tip: Always remember that distances are non-negative because they represent the absolute separation between two points, regardless of their direction on the number line.