1. What is the Distance Formula?

The distance formula calculates the straight-line distance between two points in a 2D plane. It's derived from the Pythagorean theorem and is fundamental in geometry and coordinate geometry.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the distance formula:

Where:

• \( x1, y1 \) — Coordinates of the first point
• \( x2, y2 \) — Coordinates of the second point
• \( d \) — Distance between the points

Explanation: The formula calculates the hypotenuse of a right triangle formed by the differences in x and y coordinates.

3. Applications of Distance Calculation

Details: The distance formula is used in physics, engineering, computer graphics, navigation, and many other fields where measuring spatial relationships is important.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the x and y coordinates for both points. The calculator will compute the straight-line distance between them in the same units as the coordinates.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Can this be used for 3D coordinates?
A: No, this calculator is for 2D only. For 3D, you would need to extend the formula to include the z-coordinate.

Q2: Does the order of points matter?
A: No, the distance is the same regardless of which point you consider first because the differences are squared.

Q3: What if I get negative coordinates?
A: Negative coordinates work fine - the formula accounts for them through squaring the differences.

Q4: How precise are the calculations?
A: The calculator shows results rounded to 4 decimal places, but computes with higher precision internally.

Q5: Can I use this for latitude/longitude coordinates?
A: For small distances on Earth, this works approximately. For global distances, you should use the haversine formula which accounts for Earth's curvature.