Final answer:
The distance between the points (1 1/5, -7 3/4) and (1 1/5, -4 1/4) is found by subtracting the y-coordinates and taking the absolute value, which gives a distance of 3.5 units.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the distance between the pair of points (1 1/5, -7 3/4) and (1 1/5, -4 1/4), we observe that the x-coordinates are the same. This means we can find the distance by subtracting the y-coordinates. Converting mixed numbers to improper fractions gives us:
- -7 3/4 becomes -(31/4)
- -4 1/4 becomes -(17/4)
Now, find the difference between them:
- (-31/4) - (-17/4) = -31/4 + 17/4
- Combine the fractions: (-31 + 17)/4 = -14/4
- Simplify the fraction: -14/4 = -7/2 which is -3.5 when in decimal form
Since distance is a scalar and can't be negative, we take the absolute value:
|-3.5| = 3.5
The distance between the points is therefore 3.5 units.