Definition
Coordinate distance
Coordinate distance is the nonnegative length between points found from their coordinate changes.
What it means
Read how far the points move across and up or down. If only one direction changes, subtract the coordinates and ignore the sign. If both directions change, those two moves form the legs of a right triangle.
Remember it
Coordinate changes make a right triangle; its slanted side is the distance.
Example
From (−2, 4) to (5, 4), the y-coordinate stays 4. The horizontal distance is |5 − (−2)| = 7 units.
Watch for
A coordinate difference can be negative, but the distance found from it cannot be negative.
Common mix-up
The ordered pair of horizontal and vertical changes describes movement; distance is the single length between the points.
Exact meaning
Coordinate distance is the straight-line length joining two plotted points. If one coordinate is shared, take the nonnegative gap in the other; otherwise, the horizontal and vertical changes form perpendicular legs whose hypotenuse is found using the Pythagorean theorem.