Midpoint Calculator
Enter two points and get the point exactly halfway between them, with the averaging steps shown for each coordinate.
How to use this calculator
The midpoint is the point exactly halfway between two points, the center of the segment joining them. Type both points and press Calculate.
How it works
Average each coordinate separately: add the x-values and halve, add the y-values and halve. That is the entire formula, a midpoint is just two averages.
Worked example
Example: (1, 2) and (5, 8)
Step 1, Average x: (1 + 5)/2 = 3.
Step 2, Average y: (2 + 8)/2 = 5.
Step 3, Answer: M = (3, 5), the center of the segment.
Common mistakes
- Averaging x with y: (x₁+y₁)/2 is meaningless, average x with x, y with y.
- Forgetting to halve: (x₁+x₂) alone is the sum, not the middle. The division by 2 is the whole point.
- Confusing with distance: midpoint gives a point; distance gives a length. Different questions, different formulas.
When to use it
Bisecting segments in geometry proofs, finding centers of shapes, splitting a journey into equal halves on a map grid, and locating the middle of any two coordinate points.
Frequently asked questions
M = ((x₁ + x₂)/2, (y₁ + y₂)/2): the average of the x-coordinates paired with the average of the y-coordinates.
Yes, by construction it lies on the segment joining them, exactly halfway along it.
Midpoint returns a point (the center); distance returns a number (the length). They answer different questions about the same two points.