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How do you know which formula to use?

You've seen how to use formulas to find the distance between two points and a midpoint, but you may not remember these formulas in the future when you need them. The help sheet below can serve as a reminder and guide when you encounter problems involving distance. It can also help you decide which formula to use in a given situation.

Click the Print button to print or download the Distance and Midpoint Help Sheet. Then, use the sheet to help you determine which formula to use for each problem.

A worker is laying patches on the roof of a building. He needs to start in the center and then work his way out to the sides. Which formula could the worker use do decide where on the roof to start laying the patches?


distance formula

midpoint formula


Remember, the worker needs of find the center of the roof.
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Heard any jokes lately about why chickens cross roads? Suppose you just want to know how long it would take them to get from one side to the other. If you find out that most chickens take 2 minutes to travel 5 feet, what formula can you use find out their ETA (estimated time of arrival) on the other side of the road?


distance formula

midpoint formula


You know how long it takes chickens to go five feet, but how far is it across the road?
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Geostationary (GEO) satellites, which orbit the earth at a fixed point in space, are generally used to broadcast television signals, so they need to be far enough from the Earth to relay many different signals but close enough that the signals will travel. Which formula could help you find the number of miles from one fixed point GEO satellite to the earth's surface?


distance formula

midpoint formula


You need to measure the length of one (imaginary) line from endpoint to endpoint.
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The monorail, an elevated train that seems to travel on a single rail, is a fun way to see the sights at Disney World in Florida. If there are six cars in the monorail train, what formula would you use to find the location of the third car?


distance formula

midpoint formula


The connection between the third and fourth cards should represent the middle of the train.
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