The Distance Formula

Produced by Kevin Horace Mann Middle School

Ms. Wiltshire’s Class

Finding The Distance Between PointsOn maps and other grids, you often need to find the distance between two points not on the same grid line.This is used for:Taking a car tripFlying a planeTargeting a rocketComputing the distance a football is thrown

Investigating Distance

Plot A and B on graph paper. Then draw a right triangle that has the line segment AB as its hypotenuse.Label the coordinates of the vertex.Find the length of the legs of the right triangle.Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the length of the hypotenuse.

PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM /DISTANCE FORMULA

PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM

DISTANCE FORMULA

USING THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM

NASA MAP

COMPUTATIONTHE CHANGE IN LATITUDE IS 5 DEGREES (117-122)THE CHANGE IN LONGITUDE IS 3 DEGREES (37-34)THESE DISTANCES ARE THE LEGS OF THE RIGHT TRIANGLE.

USING THE DISTANCE FORMULANASA MAP

COMPUTATION

NASA DRYDEN IS LOCATED AT 117 DEGREES LONGITUDE AND 34 DEGREES LATITUDE.NASA AMES IS LOCATED AT 122 DEGREES LONGITUDE AND 37 DEGREES LATITUDE.CONSIDER EACH LOCATION A COORDINATE PAIR (34,117) AND (37,122)

DISTANCE FORMULA

WHAT DID WE LEARN?HOW TO COMPUTE DISTANCE USING THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM AND THE DISTANCE FORMULAHOW TO USE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDEWHAT DEGREES ARE

SO, HOW FAR IS IT REALLY?ONE DEGREE EQUALS ABOUT 60 NAUTICAL MILES5.83 DEGREES EQUALS 349.8 NAUTICAL MILES (5.83*60)