Distance Calculator 2D Distance 3D Distance GPS Distance Speed & Time ...
Distance Calculator
2D Distance Calculator
Point 1 - X coordinate
Point 1 - Y coordinate
Point 2 - X coordinate
Point 2 - Y coordinate
d = √[(x₂ - x₁)² + (y₂ - y₁)²]
3D Distance Calculator
Point 1 - X coordinate
Point 1 - Y coordinate
Point 1 - Z coordinate
Point 2 - X coordinate
Point 2 - Y coordinate
Point 2 - Z coordinate
d = √[(x₂ - x₁)² + (y₂ - y₁)² + (z₂ - z₁)²]
GPS Distance Calculator
Point 1 - Latitude (°)
Point 1 - Longitude (°)
Point 2 - Latitude (°)
Point 2 - Longitude (°)
Distance Unit
Haversine formula for great-circle distance
Speed, Distance & Time
Distance
Time (hours)
Speed (units/hour)
Calculate
Distance = Speed × Time
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Results
2D Distance Visualization
3D Distance Visualization
GPS Distance Visualization
Speed-Distance-Time Triangle
Understanding Distance Calculations
Distance calculations are fundamental in mathematics, physics, geography, and everyday life. From measuring the straight-line distance between two points to calculating travel distances on Earth's curved surface, different scenarios require different approaches and formulas.
2D distance uses the Pythagorean theorem to find the straight-line distance between two points in a plane. 3D distance extends this concept to three-dimensional space by adding the z-coordinate difference.
GPS distance calculations account for Earth's spherical shape using the Haversine formula, which computes the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere given their longitudes and latitudes. This is essential for accurate navigation and mapping applications.
Speed, distance, and time are interrelated through the fundamental formula: Distance = Speed × Time. This relationship is crucial in physics, transportation planning, and everyday travel calculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Euclidean distance is the straight-line distance between two points in flat space (2D or 3D). Great-circle distance is the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere (like Earth). For short distances on Earth, they're similar, but for long distances, great-circle distance is significantly shorter.
A: GPS coordinates are angular measurements (latitude and longitude) on Earth's curved surface. The distance between degrees of longitude varies with latitude (closer at poles, farther at equator). The Haversine formula accounts for this curvature and provides accurate distances for spherical coordinates.
A: Only for very small areas where Earth's curvature is negligible (like within a city). For larger distances or when high accuracy is needed, you must use GPS distance formulas that account for the spherical nature of Earth.
A: For 2D and 3D distance, use any consistent linear units (meters, feet, etc.). For GPS coordinates, use decimal degrees (e.g., 40.7128° for latitude). The distance result will be in the units you select (kilometers, miles, etc.).
A: The Haversine formula assumes Earth is a perfect sphere, but Earth is actually an oblate spheroid (flattened at poles). For most applications, Haversine is accurate enough (within 0.5%). For higher precision, use Vincenty's formulae which account for Earth's ellipsoidal shape.
A: They are related by the equation: Distance = Speed × Time. If you know any two, you can calculate the third. This assumes constant speed; for varying speeds, you need calculus or average speed calculations.
A: No, distance is always non-negative. It represents the magnitude of separation between points. However, displacement (which includes direction) can be negative in one-dimensional contexts, but distance itself is always positive or zero.