What is the distance between (2, -1) and (1, -5) on the coordinate plane?

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Answer 1 · 2017-01-13T15:19:18

#d = sqrt(17)# or #d = 4.1# rounded to the nearest 10th

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 two points from the problem and calculating gives the distance as:

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

#d = sqrt((-1)^2 + (-4)^2)#

#d = sqrt(1 + 16)#

#d = sqrt(17)#

#d = 4.1# rounded to the nearest 10th