DistanceFormulaStudent Exploration Sheet

Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Distance Formula
Vocabulary: coordinates, distance formula, hypotenuse, Pythagorean Theorem
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

Suppose you are building a gate like the one shown to the right.
1. What type of figures does the diagonal divide the rectangle into?
2. The rectangle measures 3 feet by 4 feet. What is the length of the diagonal?
3. What did you use to find the length above?
Gizmo Warm-up
In the Distance Formula Gizmo™, you can drag points A and B
to change their coordinates, or (x, y) locations. Then you can
find the distance between the points.
To begin, you will use coordinates to measure the distance

between points that are lined up horizontally and vertically.
1. With Show values selected, drag point A to (6, 2) and point B to (–2, 2) as shown above.
A. What is the distance between the points? Select Show ruler, and
drag the “donuts” until they snap onto the endpoints to check.
B. How can you use the x-coordinates (6 and –2) of the points to find this distance?
2. With point A still at (6, 2), drag point B to (6, –3).
A. What is the distance between the points? Use the ruler to check.
B. How can you use the y-coordinates (2 and –3) of the points to find this distance?
2019
Activity A:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Distance between
 Be sure Show values is turned on.
two points
1. Drag point A to (2, 6) and point B to (14, 1).
A. Sketch the points and the segment between them on

the grid to the right. Sketch segments to represent
the horizontal and vertical distances between the
points. Connect these segments to a third point C.
What type of figure did you draw?
B. For the figure you drew above, label the long leg a, the short leg b, and the
hypotenuse c. (The labels a, b, and c represent the lengths of the sides.)
What are a and b, the lengths of the legs? a= b=
C. Use the Pythagorean Theorem

(a2 + b2 = c2) to find c, the length
of the hypotenuse of the right
triangle. Show your work in the
space to the right. Use the Gizmo
ruler to check your calculation.
2. Suppose the coordinates of point A are (x1, y1) and the coordinates of point B are (x2, y2).
A. Fill in the blanks below to show how you can use these coordinates to find a and b.
a= b=
Turn on Show triangle and select Show labels to check your answers.
B. The Pythagorean Theorem can also be written c2 = a2 + b2. Substitute the values you
found for a and b above into this equation to write an expression for c2 in terms of x1,
y1, x2, and y2.
c2 =
C. Substitute d (distance) for c (length of hypotenuse). Then solve for d by taking the
square root of both sides.
d=
This is called the distance formula. Select Show distance computation to check
your formula. Make corrections if necessary.
(Activity A continued on next page)
2019
Activity A (continued from previous page)
3. Select Show values and turn off everything else.
A. Drag point A to (–6, –5) and point B to (–1, 4). On the grid
to the right, make a labeled sketch of the triangle that can
be used to find the distance between the points.
B. Use the distance formula, d = ( x 2  x1 ) 2  ( y 2  y 1 ) 2 , to

find AB. Round to the nearest hundredth if necessary.
Show your work in the space below.
C. Turn on Show distance computation to check your work above. Why is it not
necessary to use the absolute value of the differences of the coordinates in the
distance formula?
D. Switch the order in which you subtract both coordinates in the distance formula. Do
you get the same distance? Why or why not?
4. Use the distance formula to find the distance between each pair of points. Round to the
nearest hundredth if necessary. Write all your steps in the space below each problem. When
possible, check your answers in the Gizmo. (The last one cannot be modeled in the Gizmo.)
A. (–7, 9) and (3, –5) B. (12, –8) and (–4, 1) C. (–7, 5) and (–1, 16)
2019
Activity B:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Using the
 Turn off everything except Show values.
distance formula
1. Lana and Tim live in a part of town where the streets form a grid. North
The general location of their houses is shown on the grid to the Tim
right. Each unit on the grid represents one mile.
A. Tim drives directly south, and then directly west to get to

Lana’s house. Sketch this path on the grid to the right.
How many miles in each direction does he drive?
Lana
B. What are the coordinates of each house? Tim: Lana:
C. A crow flies along a straight line from Lana’s house to Tim’s house. Sketch a path on
the grid above to show the crow’s path. Then plot the points in the Gizmo (use point
A for Tim and point B for Lana). Select Show triangle to check your work.
What type of figure do all three paths make?
D. Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find E. Use the distance formula to find the
the distance the crow flies to the distance the crow flies to the nearest
nearest hundredth. Show your work. hundredth. Show your work. Check
your answer in the Gizmo.
F. Which method do you find easier? Why?
2. Suppose Lana can get to Carl’s house

by driving two miles north and two miles
east. Use the distance formula to find
the length of the straight path the crow
flies from Carl’s house to Tim’s house to
the nearest hundredth. Show your work
in the space to the right. Then check
your answer in the Gizmo.
2019

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Name: Date:

Student Exploration: Distance Formula

Vocabulary: coordinates, distance formula, hypotenuse, Pythagorean Theorem

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

3. What did you use to find the length above?

To begin, you will use coordinates to measure the distance

2. With point A still at (6, 2), drag point B to (6, –3).

1. Drag point A to (2, 6) and point B to (14, 1).

A. Sketch the points and the segment between them on

What type of figure did you draw?

What are a and b, the lengths of the legs? a= b=

C. Use the Pythagorean Theorem

(Activity A continued on next page)

3. Select Show values and turn off everything else.

B. Use the distance formula, d = ( x 2  x1 ) 2  ( y 2  y 1 ) 2 , to

you get the same distance? Why or why not?

A. Tim drives directly south, and then directly west to get to

B. What are the coordinates of each house? Tim: Lana:

What type of figure do all three paths make?

F. Which method do you find easier? Why?

2. Suppose Lana can get to Carl’s house

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