Question

What is the distance between (−5,−4) and (-6,4)?

Answer 1

The distance formula is:  d  =  sqrt( (x2 - x1)2 + (y2 - y1)2 )

 

For this problem, let (-5, -4) be the "first" point, so  x1 = -5  and  y2 = -4

                      and let (-6, 4) be the "second" point, so  x2 = -6  and  y2 = 4.

 

Then:  d  =  sqrt( (-6 - -5)2 + (4 - -4)2 )  =  sqrt( (-1)2 + (8)2 )  =  sqrt( 1 + 64 )  =  sqrt( 65)

 

The distance formula is just the Pythagorean Theorem applied to an x-y graph.

 

You would get the same final answer if you let (-5, -4) be the second point and (-6, 4) be the first point.