Final answer:
The distance between the points (2, -1) and (-1, -5) on the coordinate plane is 5 units.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the distance between two points in a coordinate plane, we can use the distance formula. The distance formula is given by:
d = sqrt((x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2)
Let's use this formula to find the distance between the points (2, -1) and (-1, -5).
d = sqrt((-1 - 2)^2 + (-5 - (-1))^2)
d = sqrt((-3)^2 + (-4)^2)
d = sqrt(9 + 16)
d = sqrt(25)
d = 5
Therefore, the distance between the points (2, -1) and (-1, -5) is 5 units.