Question

Find the distance between the two points in simplest radical form. (-8, -2) and (-6,2)

Answer 1

Answer:  $2\sqrt{5}$

To get that answer, we apply the distance formula

$d = \sqrt{(x_1 - x_2)^2 + (y_1 - y_2)^2}\\\\d = \sqrt{(-8-(-6))^2 + (-2-2)^2}\\\\d = \sqrt{(-8+6)^2 + (-2-2)^2}\\\\d = \sqrt{(-2)^2 + (-4)^2}\\\\d = \sqrt{4 + 16}\\\\d = \sqrt{20}\\\\d = \sqrt{4*5}\\\\d = \sqrt{4}*\sqrt{5}\\\\d = 2\sqrt{5}\\\\d \approx 4.472136$

As an alternative, you could plot the two points on the same xy grid, and then form a right triangle. Afterward, apply the pythagorean theorem and you should get the same result as shown above.