Final answer:
The distance between the points (5,-3) and (1,2) is found by using the distance formula and is approximately 6.40 units.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the distance between two points in a Cartesian coordinate system, you can use the distance formula derived from Pythagorean theorem. The distance between the points (5,-3) and (1,2) can be calculated as follows:
- Subtract the x-coordinates of the two points:
5 - 1 = 4. - Subtract the y-coordinates of the two points:
-3 - 2 = -5. - Square both differences:
4^2 = 16
and
(-5)^2 = 25. - Add the squared differences:
16 + 25 = 41. - Take the square root of the sum to find the distance:
\(√41\) or approximately 6.40 units.
The calculated distance is a scalar value that indicates the magnitude of separation between the two points without a directional component.