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Distance Formula and Examples

The document explains the distance formula for calculating the distance between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2). The distance d is calculated as the square root of (x2 - x1)2 + (y2 - y1)2. Several examples are provided of using the distance formula to calculate the distances between points. One example shows that the distance between points B and C is twice the distance between points A and B.

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Ollie Fry
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161 views1 page

Distance Formula and Examples

The document explains the distance formula for calculating the distance between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2). The distance d is calculated as the square root of (x2 - x1)2 + (y2 - y1)2. Several examples are provided of using the distance formula to calculate the distances between points. One example shows that the distance between points B and C is twice the distance between points A and B.

Uploaded by

Ollie Fry
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • The Distance Formula

The Distance Formula y

B
(x2, y2)
The distance between any two points
A
A (x1, y1) and B (x2, y2) can be found y2 - y1
(x1, y1)
easily by Pythagoras’ Theorem.
x2 - x1
If d is the distance between A and B, then: 0 x

x - x1  +  y2 - y1 
2 2
d= 2

Examples

1. Calculate the distance between:

a. A(-4, 4) and B(2, -4) b. C(11, 2) and D(-2, -5)


(x1, y1) (x2, y2) (x1, y1) (x2, y2)

d  (x2  x1 )2  (y2  y1 )2 d  (x2  x1 )2  (y2  y1 )2

d  (2  ( 4))2  ( 4  4)2 d  ( 2  11)2  ( 5  2)2

d  62  ( 8)2 d  ( 13)2  ( 7)2

d  36  64 d  169  49

d  100 d  218
d  10 d  14.8

(x2, y2)
2. A is the point (2, -1), B is (5, -2) and C is (7, 4). Show that BC = 2AB.
(x1, y1) (x1, y1) (x2, y2)

dBC  (x2  x1 )2  (y2  y1 )2 dAB  (x2  x1 )2  (y2  y1 )2

dBC  (7  5)2  (4  ( 2))2 dAB  (5  2)2  ( 2  ( 1))2

dBC  22  62 dAB  32  ( 1)2

dBC  4  36 dAB  91

dBC  40 dAB  10

dBC  4  10

dBC  2 10  Sin ce BC  2 10 and AB  10 then BC  2AB

The Distance Formula The distance between any two points A (x1, y1) and B (x2, y2) can be found easily by Pythagoras

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