What is the vertical distance of $(-6,-4)$ from $0$?
To find the vertical distance between the point \(P = (-6, -4)\) and the origin \(O = (0, 0)\), we need to look at the vertical components of their positions, which are represented by their y-coordinates. The y-coordinate of the point \(P\) is \(-4\), and the y-coordinate of the origin \(O\) is \(0\). The vertical distance is defined as the absolute difference between these two y-values.
The vertical distance \(d_v\) between two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) is given by the formula:
\[d_v = |y_1 - y_2|\]
Substituting the y-coordinates of our points, where \(y_1 = -4\) and \(y_2 = 0\), we get:
\[d_v = |-4 - 0|\]
\[d_v = |-4|\]
Since the absolute value of \(-4\) is \(4\), the vertical distance is \(4\) units.
If a submarine is at a depth of 400 meters below sea level, its position could be represented as \((x, -400)\) relative to a reference point on the surface at \((0, 0)\). The vertical distance from the surface is the absolute value of the depth, calculated as \(|-400 - 0| = 400\) meters. This shows how coordinate geometry helps in calculating physical distances in vertical space.