Question

A(2, 5), B(2, -3), and D(-6, 5) are three vertices of square ABCD. What are the coordinates of the fourth vertex, C?

Answer 1

C(-6, -3)

Explanation:

In a square, all four sides have the same length and all four angles have the same measure (90 degrees). Therefore, the line segments connecting the vertices of a square are all perpendicular to each other and all have the same length.

Since the line segment AB has a length of 8 (the difference in the y-coordinates is 8) and a horizontal component (the difference in the x-coordinates is 0), the line segment CD must also have a length of 8 and a horizontal component of 0. This means that the x-coordinate of point C is the same as the x-coordinate of point A, which is 2.

The line segment CD also has a vertical component equal to the difference in the y-coordinates of points D and A, which is 5 - (-3) = 8. Therefore, the y-coordinate of point C is the same as the y-coordinate of point D minus 8, or -3.

Therefore, the coordinates of point C are (-6, -3).