Question

A triangle has vertices on a coordinate grid at J (-7,-7),k(-7,3),and L(-1,3). What is the length, in units, of JK

Answer 1

To find the length of side JK in the triangle with vertices at J (-7, -7), K (-7, 3), and L (-1, 3), we can use the distance formula for two points in a coordinate plane, which is:

\[ d = \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2} \]

where \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) are the coordinates of the two points.

However, because both points J and K have the same x-coordinate (both are -7), this means that the line joining these two points is vertical. Therefore, we can simply calculate the distance by subtracting the y-coordinates:

\[ JK = |y_2 - y_1| \]

So, plugging in the coordinates of J and K:

\[ JK = |3 - (-7)| \]
\[ JK = |3 + 7| \]
\[ JK = |10| \]
\[ JK = 10 \]

Therefore, the length of segment JK is 10 units.