SOLUTION: Can someone please show me how to use graphs to find the distance between points? Im studying for my FED and Im having a little trouble with the algebra!!!!

Algebra ->  Test -> SOLUTION: Can someone please show me how to use graphs to find the distance between points? Im studying for my FED and Im having a little trouble with the algebra!!!!      Log On


   

Question 703261: Can someone please show me how to use graphs to find the distance between points? Im studying for my FED and Im having a little trouble with the algebra!!!!
Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
When you are asked to find the distance between 2 points,
The difference in the x-coordinates is one leg of a right
triangle, and the difference in the y-coordinates is the other
leg. The line connecting the points is the hypotenuse.
-------------
Suppose you are given the points ( -6, 11 ) and ( 9, -3 )
The length of one leg of the right triangle is +9+-%28-6%29+
The length of the other leg is +-3+-+11+
( you don't care if the lengths end up positive or negative )
--------------
+9+-%28-6%29+=+15+
+-3+-+11+=+-14+
Let +d+ = the distance between the 2 points
+d%5E2+=+15%5E2+%2B+%28-14%29%5E2+
+d+=+sqrt%28+15%5E2+%2B+%28-14%29%5E2+%29+
+d+=+sqrt%28+225+%2B+196+%29+
+d+=+sqrt%28+421+%29+
+d+=+20.5183+
----------------
Note that the minus sign went away when you squared +-14+
The complete formula you just used is:
+d+=+sqrt%28+%28+x%5B2%5D+-+x%5B1%5D+%29%5E2+%2B+%28+y%5B2%5D+-+y%5B1%5D+%29%5E2+%29+
You just did the subtraction in a previous step.
Hope this helps