Find Distance Between Two Points

Question

If we are to find the distance between the points $P(0,0)$ and $Q(-2,-3)$, then we can use the Theorem of Pythagoras for this purpose.

$distance (P,Q) = \sqrt{(x_2 -x_1)^2 + (y_2 -y_1)^2}$

therefore, $\text{distance} (P,Q) = \sqrt{-5}$ But the answer is undefined. Is this answer and the reason correct?

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited Apr 20 '13 at 19:22

4

You are calculating wrong:

$distance(P,Q) = \sqrt{(x_2 -x_1)^2 + (y_2 -y_1)^2}=\sqrt{((-2)^2+(-3)^2)}=\sqrt{(13)}$.

edited Apr 20 '13 at 19:22

m0nhawk

answered Apr 20 '13 at 17:38

Manoj

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 20 '13 at 17:28

0

You forgot to square. $d(P,Q) = \sqrt{(-2)^2+(-3)^2} = \sqrt{4+9} = \sqrt{13}$.

answered Apr 20 '13 at 17:28

Abel

2 Answers2