What is the distance between A and K?
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What is the distance between A and K?
One might think that because there are numbers on the axis that go into the negative domain, that the result must also negative.
However it is important to keep in mind that here we are asking about distance.
Distance can never be negative.
Even if we move towards or from the domain of negativity, distance is an existing value (absolute value).
We can think of it as if we were counting the number of steps, and it doesn't matter if we start from five or minus five, both are 5 steps away from zero.
10
\( 5 < -5 \)
Distance is always positive! Think of it like counting steps - whether you walk from your house to school or from school to your house, the distance is the same positive number.
Use the formula: Distance = |point2 - point1|. The absolute value bars ensure your answer is always positive, no matter which point you subtract from which.
The same rule applies! For example, distance from -8 to -3 is |-3 - (-8)| = |5| = 5. The absolute value always gives you the positive distance.
Absolutely! Counting units between points is a great way to check your work. From A(-5) to K(5), count: -5 to 0 is 5 steps, then 0 to 5 is 5 more steps, total = 10.
Absolute value removes the negative sign and gives us the actual distance. Distance is a measurement of space, not direction, so it's always positive!
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