In Exercises 19–30, find the midpoint of each line segment with the given endpoints. (6, 8) and (2, 4)

Key Concepts

Midpoint Formula

The midpoint formula is used to find the point that is exactly halfway between two given points in a coordinate plane. It is calculated using the formula M = ((x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2), where (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are the coordinates of the endpoints. This formula provides a straightforward method to determine the average of the x-coordinates and the y-coordinates of the endpoints.

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 this 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 lines.

Ordered Pairs

Ordered pairs are pairs of numbers used to represent the coordinates of a point in a two-dimensional space. The first number corresponds to the x-coordinate, and the second number corresponds to the y-coordinate. In the context of the given question, the endpoints (6, 8) and (2, 4) are ordered pairs that define specific locations on the coordinate plane, which are crucial for applying the midpoint formula.