How do you find the horizontal distance between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) on a coordinate plane?

Subtract the x-coordinates: |x2 - x1|.

How do you find the vertical distance between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) on a coordinate plane?

Subtract the y-coordinates: |y2 - y1|.

d = √((x2 - x1)² + (y2 - y1)²)

8th GradeMath45 min

I can apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance between two points on a coordinate plane.

5 min

Distance Formula: A Step-by-Step Guide

IXL

9 min

Key concepts students will learn:

•
The distance between two points can be found by drawing a right triangle and using the Pythagorean theorem.
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The general distance formula is d = √ (x₂ - x₁)² + (y₂ - y₁)² , where d is the distance between the points (x₁, y₁) and (x₂, y₂).
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When using the distance formula, be careful to correctly substitute the values and remember that subtracting a negative number is the same as adding a positive number.

14 min

10 questions • Short answer

5 min

“Find the distance between the points (1, 5) and (4, 9). Show all steps.”

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