1. **State the problem:** Calculate the distance between the points $N=(-4,-3)$ and $F=(4,3)$ in the coordinate plane. 2. **Formula used:** The distance $d$ between two points $(x_1,y_1)$ and $(x_2,y_2)$ is given by the distance formula: $$d=\sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2}$$ 3. **Apply the formula:** Substitute $x_1=-4$, $y_1=-3$, $x_2=4$, and $y_2=3$: $$d=\sqrt{(4 - (-4))^2 + (3 - (-3))^2}$$ 4. **Simplify inside the parentheses:** $$d=\sqrt{(4 + 4)^2 + (3 + 3)^2}$$ $$d=\sqrt{8^2 + 6^2}$$ 5. **Calculate the squares:** $$d=\sqrt{64 + 36}$$ 6. **Add the values:** $$d=\sqrt{100}$$ 7. **Simplify the square root:** $$d=10$$ **Final answer:** The exact distance between points $N$ and $F$ is $10$.