SOLUTION: Reduce the equation 4x + 3y + 20 = 0 to the normal form and find the distance of the line from the origin

There is a remarkable formula to calculate the distance from a given point to a given straight line in a coordinate plane.


    Let the straight line in a coordinate plane is defined in terms of its linear equation 

         a*x + b*y + c = 0,

    where "a", "b" and "c" are real numbers, and let P = (,) be the point in the coordinate plane. 

    Then the distance from the point P to the straight line is equal to

        d = .


Regarding this formula, see the lesson
    The distance from a point to a straight line in a coordinate plane
in this site.


Your straight line is 4x + 3y + 20 = 0.


Substitute the given data  a= 4, b= 3, c= 20,   = 0,  = 0  into the formula to get the distance under the question


     =  =  = 4.     ANSWER.


Answer.  The distance from the line to the origin is 4 units.