The Distance and Midpoint Formulas

Topics for Today:

We continued with applications of square roots today and how it applies to geometric concepts.  The distance formula can be used to find the length of any line segment that is plotted on a coordinate plane.  The distance formula is a direct application of the Pythagorean Theorem.

The midpoint formula is another geometric concept.  The midpoint of a line segment divides that segment exactly in half.  To find the midpoint of a line segment, we are basically taking the average of the coordinates of the endpoints.  

Vocabulary:  distance formula, midpoint, midpoint formula

Sections Covered in Textbook:

11-3: The Distance and Midpoint Formulas (pages 591-597)

Resources & Tutorials:

1) What is the distance formula?
2) What is the midpoint formula? 
3) How to find the coordinate of a midpoint given endpoints.
4) Distance and Midpoint Formulas Class Notes