1. **State the problem:** Find the vertical distance between the points $(2, -0.8)$ and $(2, 1.2)$. 2. **Formula:** The vertical distance between two points with the same $x$-coordinate is the absolute difference of their $y$-coordinates: $$\text{Vertical distance} = |y_2 - y_1|$$ 3. **Apply the formula:** Here, $y_1 = -0.8$ and $y_2 = 1.2$. $$|1.2 - (-0.8)| = |1.2 + 0.8| = |2.0| = 2.0$$ 4. **Interpretation:** The vertical distance between the points is $2.0$ units.