Calculating the Midpoint of a Line Segment | Formula and Example

Midpoint

The midpoint is a point that is exactly halfway between two other points on a line segment

The midpoint is a point that is exactly halfway between two other points on a line segment.

To find the midpoint of a line segment with endpoints (x₁, y₁) and (x₂, y₂), you can use the midpoint formula:

Midpoint (M) = ((x₁ + x₂) / 2, (y₁ + y₂) / 2)

This formula simply takes the average of the x-coordinates to find the x-coordinate of the midpoint, and likewise for the y-coordinate. The resulting coordinates of the midpoint give the point that is equidistant from the two endpoints of the line segment.

For example, let’s say we have a line segment with endpoints A(2, 4) and B(6, 10). To find the midpoint, we can apply the midpoint formula:

Midpoint (M) = ((2 + 6) / 2, (4 + 10) / 2)
Midpoint (M) = (8 / 2, 14 / 2)
Midpoint (M) = (4, 7)

So, the midpoint of the line segment AB is M(4, 7). This point is exactly halfway between A and B, both horizontally and vertically.

More Answers: