Lesson 11
Finding Distances in the Coordinate Plane
Let’s find distances in the coordinate plane.
Problem 1
The right triangles are drawn in the coordinate plane, and the coordinates of their vertices are labeled. For each right triangle, label each leg with its length.
Problem 2
Find the distance between each pair of points. If you get stuck, try plotting the points on graph paper.
- \(M=(0,\text-11)\) and \(P=(0,2)\)
- \(A=(0,0)\) and \(B=(\text-3, \text-4)\)
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\(C=(8,0)\) and \(D=(0, \text-6)\)
Problem 3
- Find an object that contains a right angle. This can be something in nature or something that was made by humans or machines.
- Measure the two sides that make the right angle. Then measure the distance from the end of one side to the end of the other.
- Draw a diagram of the object, including the measurements.
- Use the Pythagorean Theorem to show that your object really does have a right angle.
Problem 4
Which line has a slope of 0.625, and which line has a slope of 1.6? Explain why the slopes of these lines are 0.625 and 1.6.
Problem 5
Write an equation for the graph.