Distance Formula Word Problems

Gene has a 12 foot ladder. Safety instructions recommend that the base of the ladder must be 4 feet from the base of the wall. How far up the wall will the ladder reach? Round to the nearest tenth if needed.

• The ladder will reach about 11.4 feet up the wall.

• The ladder will reach about 11.3 feet up the wall.

• The ladder will reach about 12.6 feet up the wall.

• The ladder will reach about 11.9 feet up the wall.

Owen walks to school each day. He travels 12 blocks west and then 9 blocks north. If he could walk on a path directly from his house to school, what would be the length of his walk in blocks?

• He would walk 14 blocks.

• He would walk 18 blocks.

• He would walk 23 blocks.

• He would walk 15 blocks.

Two ships leave from the same port. One travels east 21 miles and the other travels 72 miles south. Determine the distance between the two ships.

• The two ships are 75 miles apart.

• The two ships are 93 miles apart.

• The two ships are 68.9 miles apart.

• The two ships are 51 miles apart.

Find the distance between points (6, 2) and (1, 14). Round to the nearest tenth if necessary.

• 15.5 units

• 17.5 units

• 13 units

• 17.4 units

How long is the line connecting (-5,6) and (1,-2)?

• 10

• 100

• 52

What is the distance between the points (–20,20) and (20,–20)?

• 0

• 20

• 28.3

• 56.6

What's the distance between (0,0) and (3,4)

• 7

• 49

• 5

• 25

Find the distance.

• 7.1

• 7.8

• 8.7

• 8.9

• x=64

• x=-8

• x=8

• x=8 or x=-8

Find the distance between (-4, 5) and (7, 18).

• 15.96

• 16.08

• 16.23

• 17.03