To determine the length of segment $\overline{AB}$ on the number line, we look at the coordinates of points $A$ and $B$:

• Point $A$ is located at $-56$
• Point $B$ is located at $-40$

The length of $\overline{AB}$ is the distance between these two points, calculated as:

$|A - B| = |-56 - (-40)| = |-56 + 40| = |-16| = 16$

Thus, the length of $\overline{AB}$ is 16 units.

The correct answer is B) 16.

Would you like more details or have any further questions?

Here are 5 related questions to think about:

1. What is the distance between points $C$ and $D$ on the same number line?
2. How would you calculate the length of segment $\overline{BE}$ from the number line?
3. Can distances on a number line ever be negative? Why or why not?
4. If you wanted to find the total distance between points $A$ and $E$, how would you calculate it?
5. How does the concept of absolute value help in finding distances on a number line?

Tip: Always subtract the smaller coordinate from the larger one to find the positive distance between two points on a number line.