In Exercises 19–30, find the midpoint of each line segment with the given endpoints. (-7/2, 3/2) and (-5/2, -11/2)

Key Concepts

Midpoint Formula

The midpoint formula is used to find the midpoint of a line segment defined by two endpoints in a coordinate plane. It is given by the formula M = ((x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2), where (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are the coordinates of the endpoints. This formula calculates the average of the x-coordinates and the average of the y-coordinates, resulting in the coordinates of the midpoint.

Coordinate Plane

A coordinate plane is a two-dimensional surface formed by the intersection of a horizontal axis (x-axis) and a vertical axis (y-axis). Each point on the plane is represented by an ordered pair (x, y), where 'x' indicates the horizontal position and 'y' indicates the vertical position. Understanding the coordinate plane is essential for visualizing and solving problems involving points and line segments.

Ordered Pairs

Ordered pairs are pairs of numbers used to represent points in a coordinate system, typically written in the form (x, y). The first number 'x' corresponds to the horizontal position, while the second number 'y' corresponds to the vertical position. Recognizing and manipulating ordered pairs is crucial for performing operations such as finding midpoints, distances, and slopes in algebra.