What is the distance between the origin ( 0 0) and a point at ( -15 8)?

Answer 1

Use Pythagoras:

For a line joining two points (x0, y0) to (x1, y1) there is a right angle triangle:

One side (leg) joins (x0, y0) to (x1, y0) with length (x1 - x0)

One side (leg) joins (x1, y0) to (x1, y1) with length (y1 - y0)

The hypotenuse joins (x0, y0) to (x1, y1)

→ length hypotenuse = √((x1 - x0)² + (y1 - y0)²)

→ length between (0, 0) and (-15, 8) is given by:

distance = √((-15 - 0)² + (8 - 0)²)

= √((-15)² + (8)²)

= √(225 + 64)

= √289

= 17 units