Final answer:
The possible coordinates of point A are (-8, 14) and (-8, -10).
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the possible coordinates of point A, we need to consider that the x-coordinate of point A is -8 and the distance between point A and point B is 15 units. Since point B has coordinates (1, 2), we can use the distance formula to find the y-coordinate of point A.
The distance formula is given by:
distance = sqrt((x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2)
Substituting the known values,
15 = sqrt((1 - (-8))^2 + (y2 - 2)^2)
Simplifying the equation,
15 = sqrt(81 + (y2 - 2)^2)
Squaring both sides, we get:
225 = 81 + (y2 - 2)^2
Subtracting 81 from both sides, we have:
144 = (y2 - 2)^2
Taking the square root of both sides, we get:
12 = |y2 - 2|
Splitting the equation into two cases,
Case 1: y2 - 2 = 12, which gives y2 = 14
Case 2: -(y2 - 2) = 12, which gives y2 = -10
Therefore, the possible coordinates for point A are (-8, 14) and (-8, -10).