Midpoint Madness!
Below is the formula for calculating the midpoint between 2 points in a plot graph:
((X1 + X2)/2, (Y1 + Y2)/2)
If the coordinates of the points are consecutive integers, something neat happens! Observe the table below:
| Point A | Point B | Midpoint |
|---|
| (1, 2) | (3, 4) | (2, 3) |
| (5, 6) | (7, 8) | (6, 7) |
| (9, 10) | (11, 12) | (10, 11) |
| (13, 14) | (15, 16) | (14, 15) |
| (17, 18) | (19, 20) | (18, 19) |
The coordinates of the midpoint will match the 2 middle integers!
The trick will even work if the integers are in reverse order! Negative integers & the number zero can be included!
| Point A | Point B | Midpoint |
|---|
| (4, 3) | (2, 1) | (3, 2) |
| (-4, -3) | (-2, -1) | (-3, -2) |
| (-1, 0) | (1, 2) | (0, 1) |
| (-15, -16) | (-17, -18) | (-16, -17) |
Just make sure that the integers of the coordinates of the 2 points A & B are in proper order (backwards or forwards) so that the trick will work out!
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© Derek Cumberbatch