Final answer:
To calculate the horizontal distance between the points on a coordinate plane, subtract the x-coordinates and take the absolute value. The horizontal distance between (4,3) and (-5,3) is 9 units.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the horizontal distance between the points (4,3) and (-5,3), we simply look at the difference in the x-coordinates of the points because the y-coordinates are the same.
The formula to calculate the distance between two points on a horizontal line is:
d = |x2 - x1|
Substitute the given points into the formula:
d = |(-5) - 4| = |-9| = 9
The absolute value is used because distance is always a positive quantity.
Therefore, the horizontal distance is 9 units.