Professional Distance Calculator
Calculate distances between points in 2D, 3D, Manhattan distance, Minkowski distance, and geographic distance using Haversine formula.
Calculator
Enter coordinates for two points to calculate the distance between them.
Distance
0
Detailed Results
Step-by-Step Solution
Complete User Guide
What is a Distance Calculator?
A distance calculator computes the distance between two points in various coordinate systems and using different distance metrics. It supports 2D and 3D Euclidean distance, Manhattan distance, geographic distance, and Minkowski distance.
How to Use This Calculator
- Select the distance type from the dropdown menu
- Enter the coordinates for point 1 and point 2 based on the selected type
- For geographic distance, enter latitude and longitude in degrees
- For Minkowski distance, enter comma-separated coordinates and the p value
- Click Calculate to get the distance with step-by-step solution
- Review the results, visualization, and detailed explanation
Understanding Distance Types
Euclidean Distance
The straight-line distance between two points. In 2D: √((x₂-x₁)² + (y₂-y₁)²). Represents the shortest path.
Manhattan Distance
The sum of absolute differences: |x₂-x₁| + |y₂-y₁|. Also called taxicab distance, representing distance along grid lines.
Geographic Distance
Uses the Haversine formula to calculate great-circle distance between two points on Earth using latitude and longitude.
Minkowski Distance
A generalized distance metric. p=1 gives Manhattan, p=2 gives Euclidean, p=∞ gives Chebyshev distance.
Examples
Example 1: 2D Euclidean Distance
Point 1: (0, 0), Point 2: (3, 4)
Distance: 5.0
Example 2: Geographic Distance
New York: (40.7128°N, 74.0060°W), London: (51.5074°N, 0.1278°W)
Distance: ~5,585 km
Important Notes
- For geographic distance, latitude must be between -90° and 90°, longitude between -180° and 180°.
- For Minkowski distance, both points must have the same number of dimensions.
- Euclidean distance is always less than or equal to Manhattan distance for the same points.