1. The problem is to find the distance between two points $(8, 3)$ and $(8, -4)$ on the coordinate plane. 2. The formula to find the distance $d$ between two points $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$ is: $$d = \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2}$$ This formula is derived from the Pythagorean theorem. 3. Calculate the differences in coordinates: $$x_2 - x_1 = 8 - 8 = 0$$ $$y_2 - y_1 = -4 - 3 = -7$$ 4. Substitute into the formula: $$d = \sqrt{0^2 + (-7)^2} = \sqrt{0 + 49} = \sqrt{49}$$ 5. Simplify the square root: $$d = 7$$ 6. Therefore, the distance between the points is 7 units.