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Distance Formula

The document discusses the distance formula, which is used to calculate the distance between two points in a plane using their x and y coordinates. It provides the formula, explains how to plug in coordinate values and calculate the distance, and includes examples of using the formula to find distances between various point pairs.

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angie.chiong2004
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152 views5 pages

Distance Formula

The document discusses the distance formula, which is used to calculate the distance between two points in a plane using their x and y coordinates. It provides the formula, explains how to plug in coordinate values and calculate the distance, and includes examples of using the formula to find distances between various point pairs.

Uploaded by

angie.chiong2004
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DISTANCE FORMULA

The distance formula is a fundamental concept in coordinate or Euclidean


geometry, and it's crucial for Grade 10 students to understand it. Let's break
down the key points:

1. DISTANCE FORMULA
The distance between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) in a plane is given
by the distance formula:

d= (x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2

This formula comes from the Pythagorean theorem, where the horizontal and

vertical distances between two points create the sides of a right-angled triangle,

and the hypotenuse represents the distance between the points.

2. COORDINATES
● The x-coordinate (abscissa) of a point is its distance horizontally
from the y-axis.
● The y-coordinate (ordinate) of a point is its distance vertically from
the x-axis.
● A point on the x-axis has coordinates in the form (x, 0).
● A point on the y-axis has coordinates in the form (0, y).

3. DISTANCE FROM AXES


● The distance of a point from the y-axis is its x-coordinate.
● The distance of a point from the x-axis is its y-coordinate.
● A point on the x-axis has a y-coordinate of 0.
● A point on the y-axis has an x-coordinate of 0.

4. THE APPLICATION OF THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM


To find the distance between two points in the XY plane, we apply the
Pythagorean theorem to the right-angled triangle formed by the horizontal
and vertical distances.
Understanding this knowledge is important for geometry, coordinate
systems, and their practical applications. It helps solve problems involving
distances, angles, and shapes on the Cartesian plane.

EXAMPLES
1. Point A as (2, 3) and Point B as (5, 7)

Identify coordinates,
x1 = 2, y1 = 3
x2 = 5, y2 = 7

Plug into formula,


d= (x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2
d= (5 - 2)^2 + (7 - 3)^2

Do the rest of the equation,


d= (x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2
d= (5 - 2)^2 + (7 - 3)^2
d= 3^2 + 4^2
d= 9 + 16
d= 25
d=5

So, the distance between points A and B are 5 units

2. Point D as (1, 2) and Point E as (9, 17)

Identify coordinates,
x1 = 1, y1 = 2
x2 = 9, y2 = 17

Plug into formula,


d= (x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2
d= (9 - 1)^2 + (17 - 2)^2

Do the rest of the equation,


d= (x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2
d= (9 - 1)^2 + (17 - 2)^2
d= 8^2 + 15^2
d= 64 + 225
d= 289
d = 17

So, the distance between points D and E are 17 units

3. Point N as (5, -16) and Point M as (-2, 8)


Having negative numbers doesn’t change anything.

Identify coordinates,
x1 = 5, y1 = -16
x2 = -2, y2 = 8

Plug into formula,


d= (x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2
d= (-2 - 5)^2 + (8 - -16)^2

Do the rest of the equation,


d= (x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2
d= (-2 - 5)^2 + (8 - -16)^2
d= -7^2 + 24^2
d= 49 + 576
d= 625
d = 25
So, the distance between points D and E are 25 units

4. Now, let use the distance formula while also visualizing with a graph

Recall the pythagorean theorem starting with a right-angled triangle with


hypotenuse length c which tells us the length of the longest side (the hypotenuse)
of a right triangle:

The point B (x2, y1) is at the right angle. We can see that:

● The distance between the points A(x1, y1) and B(x2, y1) is simply x2 − x1 and
● The distance between the points C(x2, y2) and B(x2, y1) is simply y2 − y1.

Consider points A(2, 3) and B(5, 7). Before anything else we need to plot these
points.

B (5, 7)
|
|
|
| A (2, 3)
|
|__________________________
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Then calculate the distance,

d= (x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2


d= (5 - 2)^2 + (7 - 3)^2
d= 3^2 + 4^2
d= 9 + 16
d= 25
d=5

Now that we finished calculating we found out that the distance between
points A and B are 5 units.

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