how do i use two coordinates A and C to compute AC?

Question

deriving the distance formula worksheet for geometry

Answer 1

A point is an ordered pair of numbers. The two numbers are the x coordinate and the y coordinate of the point. (Where by x and y is meant the independent and the dependent variables.)

 

If you have two points A(x1, y1) and C(x3, y3), you can find the distance between them, AC, by using the Pythagorean Theorem.

 

The distance between them in the x-direction is x3-x1 and the distance between them in the y-direction is y3-y1.

 

Then AC^2 = (x3-x1)^2+(y3-y1)^2. Take the square root of both sides, noting that distance is always positive:

 

AC = √((x3-x1)^2+(y3-y1)^2)