## anonymous 3 years ago Alright, freshman accelerated honors geometry problem. I need ton of help. How do you find the distance between a point and a line? Ex: Line L contains points (11,-1) and (-3,-11). Point P has coordinates (-1,1). HELP.

1. Lukecrayonz

Ever consider you shouldn't be in accelerated honors geometry?

2. anonymous

No? This is actually the only topic we've covered that I don't understand. I feel like that was an insult...

3. anonymous

Slope of line L gives you slope of perpendicular.....

4. anonymous

okay so you need to use the distance formula to find the distance between two points :) $d=\sqrt {(y_2-y_1)+(x_2-x_1)}$

estudier? What?

6. Lukecrayonz

Find midpoint between the two points on the given line, use distance formula to find the distance between the given point and the midpoint.

7. anonymous

so using that you would get $L=\sqrt{(-11+1)+(-3-11)}$

8. anonymous

All I know is that I need to find the point the coordinate is closest to on the line, then use the slope to find the length of the line its used to.

9. Lukecrayonz

No, Yummy, this is the correct way.

10. anonymous

yummydum, thats the distance from an endpoint to the point, not the line.

11. anonymous

okay well go with what sire crayon has to saay

12. Lukecrayonz

You're finding a farther distance than needed

13. anonymous

i was getting to that

14. anonymous

yeah

15. anonymous
16. Lukecrayonz
17. Lukecrayonz

18. Lukecrayonz

@yummydum your distance was 12.17, much farther than the actual distance.

19. anonymous

estudier that is not how i remember us learning it in school, we learned a shorter way

20. anonymous

It is short, they are just explaining everything in great detail.

21. anonymous

again...that wasnt my final answer i was getting to the point...but i see uve got this covered

22. Lukecrayonz

estudier that makes it look very confusing :P

23. anonymous

Ok i think i understand it now. Thanks Luke