To find the distance between two points on a coordinate plane, you can use the distance formula derived from the Pythagorean theorem. The distance formula is:
D = √((x2 – x1)² + (y2 – y1)²)
Where:
- (x1, y1) are the coordinates of the first point.
- (x2, y2) are the coordinates of the second point.
Here’s how to use it:
- Identify the coordinates of the two points. For example, let’s say Point A is (2, 3) and Point B is (5, 7).
- Plug the coordinates into the distance formula. Using our example:
- D = √((5 – 2)² + (7 – 3)²)
- Calculate the differences:
- D = √((3)² + (4)²)
- Square those differences:
- D = √(9 + 16)
- Add the squared values:
- D = √(25)
- Finally, take the square root:
- D = 5
So, the distance between the two points (2, 3) and (5, 7) is 5 units. This method can be applied to any two points on a coordinate plane, making it a handy tool for geometry and graphing tasks.