The locations of student desks are mapped using a coordinate plane where the origin represents the center of the classroom. Maria's desk is located at (5, −1), and Monique's desk is located at (−2, 4). If each unit represents 1 foot, what is the distance from Maria's desk to Monique's desk?
a) square root of 10 feet
b) square root of 72 feet
c) square root of 74 feet
d) square root of 100 feet
To find the distance between two points on a coordinate plane, we can use the distance formula:
Distance = sqrt((x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2)
In this case, Maria's desk is located at (5, -1) and Monique's desk is located at (-2, 4).
Plugging in the values into the distance formula:
Distance = sqrt((-2 - 5)^2 + (4 - (-1))^2)
Simplifying:
Distance = sqrt((-7)^2 + (5)^2)
= sqrt(49 + 25)
= sqrt(74)
Therefore, the distance from Maria's desk to Monique's desk is the square root of 74 feet.
The correct answer is: c) square root of 74 feet.