Chap 1 Distance on Coordinate Plane 9

1.3 Distance on Coordinate Plane

This section aims to:
1. familiarize with the basic terms related to the Cartesian Coordinate System;
2. define absolute value and solve simple equations; and
3. plot pairs of points and compute the distance between them.

A method for locating points in a plane with the use of ordered pair of numbers is
known as the Cartesian Coordinate System or Rectangular Coordinate System.
1. The system consists of a plane with a horizontal line (called the x-axis) which
intersects a vertical line (called the y-axis) at a point (called the origin).
2. The x and y axes are scaled off uniformly.
3. The axes divide the plane into four quadrants which are named from I to IV in
the counterclockwise direction, beginning from the upper right portion.
4. The plane has infinite points denoted by P(x, y). The x is called the abscissa
and the y is called the ordinate. The signs of the coordinates of points in the
four quadrants are shown in Fig. 1.3.1.

QII ( –, + ) QI ( +, + )

x
QIII ( –, – ) QIV ( +, – )

Fig. 1.3.1

5. To locate the point P(a, b), draw a line parallel to and at a distance of b from
the x-axis and a line parallel to and at a distance of a from the y-axis
(Fig. 1.3.2).
y

a
b P(a, b)

x
a

Fig. 1.3.2
10 Chap 1 Preliminary Concepts
For example, the point A(4, 3) is located 4 units to the right of the y-axis and 3
units above the x-axis. Thus, the abscissa is 4 and its ordinate is 3 (Fig. 1.3.3).

ordinate
abscissa P(4, 3)
3
(0, 3)

x
4
(4, 0)
Fig. 1.3.3

It is interesting to note that any point on the x-axis, the y-coordinate is 0, while
any point on the y-axis, the x-coordinate is 0.
Some plotted points are given in Fig. 1.3.4.

6 C(1, 6)
E(-2, 5) 5

4 D(2, 4)
S(8, 3)
3

B(0, 2)
R(-7, 2)
1
-4 5 A(6, 0) 7
x
-7 -6 -5 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 6 8
-1
H(-4, -1)
-2 I(5, -2)

-3 G(0, -3)
F(-1, -4) -4
K(3, -4)
-5
J(7, -5)
-6

Fig. 1.3.4
 Chap 1 Distance on Coordinate Plane 11
Absolute Value
The symbol x , which may be read “absolute value of x”, is defined as
x, if x  0
x = 0, if x  0
- x, if x  0

For instance, - 3  - (- 3)  3 and 3  3.

It is interesting to note that, in general x  x2 , so that x 2 is not necessarily equal

to x.
Example 1.3.1. Solve for x: a. x  5  7 b. | x  5 |  - 2
Solution. a. The quantity x  5 may be positive or negative, i.e.
x  5  0 or x  5  0
x  5  7 or x  5  - 7
x  2 or x  - 12
b. Since the absolute value of any real number is never negative, then
| x  5 |  - 2 has no solution.

Distance Formula
The distance between two points P1 ( x1 , y1 ) and P2 ( x 2 , y 2 ) is the number
of units measured along the line between the two points.
i) If the line is parallel to the x-axis, then y1  y2 , and the distance is given by
d  P1P2  x 2  x1  x1  x 2

ii) If the line is parallel to the y-axis, then x1  x 2 , and the distance is given by
d  P1P2  y 2  y1  y1  y2

iii) If a line is not parallel to either axis as given in the next theorem, then the
distance can be found by the application of the Pythagorean Theorem.
Theorem 1.3.1. The distance between any two points P1 ( x1 , y1 ) and P2 ( x 2
, y 2 ) is given by the formula

d  P1P2  (x 2  x1)2  ( y2  y1)2

Proof. Consider the points P1 ( x1 , y

y1 ) and P2 ( x 2 , y 2 )on the line. Draw the
lines through P2 and P1 parallel to y-axis P2
and x-axis, respectively, as in Fig. 1.3.5. Let
R( x 2 , y1 ) be the point of intersection d y2 – y1
between the two lines. Applying the x
Pythagorean Theorem in right triangle P1RP2 ,
we have P1 R
x2 – x1
P1P2  d  (RP1)2  (P2R )2
Fig. 1.3.5
Since P2R  y2  y1 , and RP1  x 2  x1 ,
then
12 Chap 1 Preliminary Concepts
P1P2  d  (y2  y1)2  (x 2  x1)2 , or d  (x 2  x1)2  ( y2  y1)2

Theorem 1.3.2. The midpoint, denoted by P( x , y ), of the segment joining P1 (

x1 , y1 ) and P2 ( x 2 , y 2 ) as seen in Fig. 1.4.6, is given by

x  1 (x1  x 2 ) , and y  1 (y1  y2 )

2 2
For example, the distance between the y
points (2, -2) and (-1, -6) is given by P2

d  (x 2  x1)  ( y2  y1)
2 2
P1
midpoint
 [2  (- 1)]  [- 2  (- 6)]
2 2 x

 32  42  5
Fig. 1.3.6
Note that the order in which the points are
taken is immaterial, i.e.
[2  (-1)]2  (- 1  2)2

[- 2  (- 6)]2  [- 6  (- 2)]2

In general, ( x 1  x 2 ) 2  ( x 2  x 1 ) 2 , and ( y1  y 2 ) 2  ( y 2  y1 ) 2 .
Also, the coordinates of the midpoint ( x , y ) of the two given foregoing points are:

x  1 [2  (- 1)]  1 , and y  1 [- 2  (- 6)]  - 4

2 2 2

Example 1.3.2. Find the length of the radius of the circle with A(-40, 4) and
B(59, -16) as endpoints of the diameter.
Solution. If r and d denote the radius and diameter of the circle as indicated in
Fig. 1.3.7, then

r  d  1 (- 40  59) 2  (4  16) 2
2 2
 1 (- 99) 2  (20) 2 y

2 10
A(-40, 4)

 1 9801  400
0
x
-40 -30 -20 -10 10 20 30 40 50 60
2 -10

 101  50.5
B(59, -16)
-20 r
2

Fig. 1.3.7
Name Score
Section Professor Date
 Chap 1 Distance on Coordinate Plane 13
Exercises 1.3
Distance on Coordinate Plane
I. Plot the following points
1a. A(3, 2) b. B(2, 3)
2a. C(0, 2) b. D(-2, 0)
3a. E(1.5, -5) b. F(5, -1.5)
4a. G(-4, -3) b. H(-3, -4)
5a. J(-3, ½) b. K(¾, -2)
y

II. Locate and plot the following points:

a. (0, 8), (-6, 11), (12, 2), (1, 15/2), (-3, 19/2)
b. (0, ½), (-1, 1), (-3, 2), (5, -2), (-2, 3/2)
Do the points lie on a straight line? Check using the ruler.
y

III. Solve the following equations for x:

1a. | x | = 7 b. | x | = ½
14 Chap 1 Preliminary Concepts

2a. x = | -7 | b. | x | = -7

3a. | x + 2 | = 6 b. | x – 1 | = 0

IV. Find the distance and midpoint between the given pair of points:
1a. (-7, -2) and (8, -10)

b. (-28, -9) and (-4, -2)

2a. (-6, -5) and (3, 7)

b. (-6, 20) and (5, -40)

3a. (2, 51) and (-18, -48)

b. (-12, 33) and (4, -30)