Simplifying the Distance Formula

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 100 views

Introduction

In this article, we will delve into a mathematical problem involving the coordinates of a point. The problem states that the ordinate of a point is twice its abscissa, and the distance from a given point is $\sqrt{10}$ . Our goal is to find the coordinates of the point. We will use algebraic manipulations and the distance formula to solve this problem.

The Problem

Let's assume that the coordinates of the point are $(x, y)$ . Since the ordinate of the point is twice its abscissa, we can write the equation:

y = 2x

We are also given that the distance from the point $(4, 3)$ is $\sqrt{10}$ . Using the distance formula, we can write:

\sqrt{(x - 4)^2 + (y - 3)^2} = \sqrt{10}

Simplifying the Distance Formula

We can simplify the distance formula by squaring both sides:

(x - 4)^2 + (y - 3)^2 = 10

Expanding the squared terms, we get:

x^2 - 8x + 16 + y^2 - 6y + 9 = 10

Combining like terms, we get:

x^2 + y^2 - 8x - 6y + 15 = 0

Substituting the Equation of the Ordinate

We can substitute the equation $y = 2x$ into the simplified distance formula:

x^2 + (2x)^2 - 8x - 6(2x) + 15 = 0

Expanding the squared terms, we get:

x^2 + 4x^2 - 8x - 12x + 15 = 0

Combining like terms, we get:

5x^2 - 20x + 15 = 0

Solving the Quadratic Equation

We can solve the quadratic equation using the quadratic formula:

x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}

In this case, $a = 5$ , $b = -20$ , and $c = 15$ . Plugging these values into the formula, we get:

x = \frac{20 \pm \sqrt{(-20)^2 - 4(5)(15)}}{2(5)}

Simplifying the expression under the square root, we get:

x = \frac{20 \pm \sqrt{400 - 300}}{10}

x = \frac{20 \pm \sqrt{100}}{10}

x = \frac{20 \pm 10}{10}

So, we have two possible values for $x$ :

x = \frac{20 + 10}{10} = 3

x = \frac{20 - 10}{10} = 1

Finding the Corresponding Values of y

We can find the corresponding values of $y$ by substituting the values of $x$ into the equation $y = 2x$ :

For $x = 3$ , we get:

y = 2(3) = 6

For $x = 1$ , we get:

y = 2(1) = 2

Conclusion

In this article, we have solved a mathematical problem involving the coordinates of a point. We used algebraic manipulations and the distance formula to find the coordinates of the point. The final answer is:

The coordinates of the point are $(3, 6)$ or $(1, 2)$ .

Discussion

This problem is a classic example of a mathematical problem that requires the use of algebraic manipulations and the distance formula. The problem is well-suited for students who are learning about coordinate geometry and the distance formula. The solution to the problem requires the use of the quadratic formula, which is a fundamental concept in algebra.

References

[1] "Coordinate Geometry" by Khan Academy
[2] "Distance Formula" by Math Open Reference
[3] "Quadratic Formula" by Purplemath

Additional Resources

[1] "Mathematics for Computer Science" by Eric Lehman and Tom Leighton
[2] "Introduction to Algebra" by Michael Artin
[3] "Geometry: A Comprehensive Course" by Dan Pedoe
Q&A: The Ordinate of a Point is Twice its Abscissa =====================================================

Q: What is the ordinate of a point?

A: The ordinate of a point is the y-coordinate of the point. It is the vertical distance of the point from the x-axis.

Q: What is the abscissa of a point?

A: The abscissa of a point is the x-coordinate of the point. It is the horizontal distance of the point from the y-axis.

Q: What is the relationship between the ordinate and the abscissa of a point?

A: In this problem, the ordinate of a point is twice its abscissa. This means that if the abscissa of a point is x, then the ordinate of the point is 2x.

Q: How do we find the coordinates of a point using the distance formula?

A: To find the coordinates of a point using the distance formula, we need to know the distance from the point to a given point, and the coordinates of the given point. We can then use the distance formula to set up an equation and solve for the coordinates of the point.

Q: What is the distance formula?

A: The distance formula is a formula that calculates the distance between two points in a coordinate plane. It is given by:

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

where d is the distance between the two points, and (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are the coordinates of the two points.

Q: How do we use the distance formula to solve this problem?

A: We are given that the distance from the point (x, y) to the point (4, 3) is √10. We can use the distance formula to set up an equation and solve for the coordinates of the point.

Q: What is the equation we get from the distance formula?

A: The equation we get from the distance formula is:

(x - 4)^2 + (y - 3)^2 = 10

Q: How do we simplify this equation?

A: We can simplify this equation by expanding the squared terms and combining like terms.

Q: What is the simplified equation?

A: The simplified equation is:

x^2 + y^2 - 8x - 6y + 15 = 0

Q: How do we use the equation y = 2x to solve for the coordinates of the point?

A: We can substitute the equation y = 2x into the simplified equation to get a quadratic equation in x.

Q: What is the quadratic equation in x?

A: The quadratic equation in x is:

5x^2 - 20x + 15 = 0

Q: How do we solve this quadratic equation?

A: We can solve this quadratic equation using the quadratic formula.

Q: What is the quadratic formula?

A: The quadratic formula is a formula that solves quadratic equations of the form ax^2 + bx + c = 0. It is given by:

x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}

Q: How do we use the quadratic formula to solve this problem?

A: We can plug the values of a, b, and c into the quadratic formula to get the solutions for x.

Q: What are the solutions for x?

A: The solutions for x are:

x = \frac{20 \pm \sqrt{100}}{10}

x = \frac{20 \pm 10}{10}

So, we have two possible values for x:

x = 3

x = 1

Q: How do we find the corresponding values of y?

A: We can find the corresponding values of y by substituting the values of x into the equation y = 2x.

Q: What are the corresponding values of y?

A: The corresponding values of y are:

For x = 3, we get:

y = 2(3) = 6

For x = 1, we get:

y = 2(1) = 2

Q: What are the coordinates of the point?

A: The coordinates of the point are (3, 6) or (1, 2).

Q: What is the final answer?

A: The final answer is (3, 6) or (1, 2).