Question

What is the distance between the following polar coordinates?: `(2,(5pi)/12), (1,(3pi)/12)`

Answer 1

The distance is `~~1.239`

Explanation:

Use the Law of Cosines:

`c^2 = a^2 + b^2- 2(a)(b)cos(A)`

where c is the distance between the two points `a = 2, b = 1 and angle A = (5pi)/12- (3pi)/12= pi/6`

`c^2 = 2^2 + 1^2- 2(2)(1)cos(pi/6)`

`c^2 ~~ 1.536`

`c ~~ 1.239`