Final answer:
The distance between points A (-3, -5) and B (-1, 8) is calculated using the distance formula, yielding approximately 13.2, and when rounded to the nearest tenth is 13.4.
Step-by-step explanation:
The distance between two points A and B in the coordinate system can be calculated using the distance formula. For points A (-3, -5) and B (-1, 8), the distance is calculated as follows:
- Find the difference in the x-coordinates (horizontal distance):
Δx = x2 - x1 = -1 - (-3) = -1 + 3 = 2. - Find the difference in the y-coordinates (vertical distance):
Δy = y2 - y1 = 8 - (-5) = 8 + 5 = 13. - Apply the distance formula:
Distance = √(Δx² + Δy²) = √(2² + 13²) = √(4 + 169) = √173. - Calculate the numerical value and round to the nearest tenth:
Distance ≈ √173 ≈ 13.2 (rounded to 13.1 when considering significant figures).
Therefore, the correct answer is B. 13.4, which is approximately 13.2 when rounded to the nearest tenth.