Question 1049306
the equation for the length of a straight line is:


y = sqrt((x2-x1)^2 + (y2-y1)^2)


in your problem:


(x1,y1) = (0,14)


(x2,y2) = (5,-2)


these points are assigned by you.


you could just have easily assigned as follows:


(x1,y1) = (5,-2)


(x2,y2) = (0,14)


for this equation it makes no difference which of the points is assigned to (x1,y1) and which of the points is assigned to (x2,y1).


the only thing that is required is that the two points be the end points of the line.


you plug this values into the equation and you get the length of the line.


your equation would become:


y = sqrt( (5-0)^2 + (-2-14)^2 )


or it would become:


y = sqrt( (0-5)^2 + (14-(-2))^2 )


either way, your answer will be that y = sqrt(281).


that is the straight line distance between (0,14) and (5,-2)


here's a good tutorial on the distance between two points formula and calculation techniques.


<a href = "http://www.purplemath.com/modules/distform2.htm" target = "_blank">http://www.purplemath.com/modules/distform2.htm</a>