MATH · DISTANCE
Distance Calculator
Calculate the Euclidean distance between two points in 2D or 3D space.
5
2D Euclidean distance
About This Calculator
The Euclidean distance is the straight-line distance between two points. In two dimensions it follows from the Pythagorean theorem; in three dimensions it extends with a third coordinate. This calculator handles both 2D and 3D distances with signed coordinates.
How It Works
Select 2D or 3D mode, then enter the coordinates of both points. The calculator subtracts coordinates before squaring to avoid overflow with very large values.
The Formula
2D: √((x₂−x₁)² + (y₂−y₁)²) 3D: √(Δx² + Δy² + Δz²)
- (x₁,y₁) and (x₂,y₂)
- coordinates of the two points
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can coordinates be negative?
- Yes. Negative coordinates are fully supported — the URL round-trip preserves them correctly.
- What is the distance from a point to itself?
- Zero — two identical points have zero distance. This is a valid result, not an error.
- How is this different from the Manhattan distance?
- The Euclidean distance is the straight-line ("as the crow flies") distance. The Manhattan distance measures the total horizontal-plus-vertical distance (sum of |Δx| + |Δy|), which is relevant for city-block navigation.