How do you find the distance between (5,-1/2) and (-3,5/2)?

2 Answers
Feb 17, 2017

See the entire solution process below:

Explanation:

The formula for calculating the distance between two points is:

#d = sqrt((color(red)(x_2) - color(blue)(x_1))^2 + (color(red)(y_2) - color(blue)(y_1))^2)#

Substituting the values from the points in the problem gives:

#d = sqrt((color(red)(-3) - color(blue)(5))^2 + (color(red)(5/2) - color(blue)(-1/2))^2)#

#d = sqrt((color(red)(-3) - color(blue)(5))^2 + (color(red)(5/2) + color(blue)(1/2))^2)#

#d = sqrt((-8)^2 + (6/2)^2)#

#d = sqrt((-8)^2 + 3^2)#

#d = sqrt(64 + 9)#

#d = sqrt(73) = 8.544# rounded to the nearest thousandth.

Feb 17, 2017

Using the Distance Formula,
#"the reqd. Distance="sqrt{(5-(-3))^2+(-1/2-5/2)^2}=sqrt73#
#~~8.544(3dp).#