Question

What is the horizontal distance between the two points (-7,-4) and (12,-4)? Remember that distance is always positive! Hint: The horizontal distance is represented by the 1st number in each coordinate. What is the difference between -7 and 12? ​

Answer 1

Answer: 19

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Explanation:

Draw out a number line. Plot -7 and 12 on the number line. Draw in the tickmarks between them. You should find the distance from -7 to 12 is 19 units since you need to go 19 spaces from either -7 to 12, or vice versa.

You can use subtraction to get

-7-12 = -19

or

12-(-7) = 12+7 = 19

The final result is made positive since negative distance does not make sense.

So you'd have |-7-12| = |-19| = 19 or |12-(-7)| = |19| = 19.

All of this only works because the two y coordinates are the same, which makes a horizontal line through the two given points.