Distance Formula
BackIn the produced worksheet, students will be working with problems related to distance formula
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About this worksheet
Suits Year 8 and upHow far apart are (1, 2) and (5, 5)? The distance formula answers: root of the across-difference squared plus the up-difference squared, here root of 16 + 9, which is 5.
The secret identity worth revealing: this IS Pythagoras. The two differences are the legs of a right triangle, and the distance is its hypotenuse.
How to make your worksheet
- Give the sheet a title, or keep the one suggested.
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- Print it. Answers included.
Every press of Generate lays out a fresh sheet, ready to print on A4.
Common questions
Should the formula be memorised or rebuilt?
Rebuilt, at first: sketch the two points, draw the right triangle, apply Pythagoras. Students who own the triangle never misremember the formula, because they can regrow it on demand.
Do negative coordinates complicate things?
Only until squaring: a difference of −7 squares to 49, same as 7. Keeping brackets around each difference until the square lands is the only care needed.