Final answer:
The distance between the points P(0, -3) and Q(-3, 1) in the coordinate plane is 5 units.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the distance between two points in the coordinate plane, we can use the distance formula. The distance formula is derived from the Pythagorean theorem and is given by:
d = sqrt((x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2)
Using the coordinates for points P(0, -3) and Q(-3, 1), we can substitute the values into the formula:
d = sqrt((-3 - 0)^2 + (1 - (-3))^2)
d = sqrt(9 + 16) = sqrt(25) = 5
Therefore, the distance between points P and Q is 5 units.