Question

(What is the distance between the points (-4,6) and (1, -6))

Answer 1

Answer:

  13

Step-by-step explanation:

The distance formula is good for finding the distance between two points:

  d = √((x2 -x1)² +(y2 -y1)²)

  d = √((1 -(-4))² +(-6 -6)²) = √(5² +(-12)²) = √169

  d = 13

The distance between the given points is 13 units.

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Alternate solution

Once you have found the differences x2-x1 = 5 and y2-y1 = -12, you recognize the triangle as a 5-12-13 right triangle, so you know the answer without any further computation. (Knowledge of the first few Pythagorean triples is very useful. 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 7-24-25, 8-15-17)