Straight Line Chapter 1

Reminder:

Gradient =

vertical
horizontal

p1 Exercise 1A qu.1 orally

Gradient Formula
B(x2,y2)

The gradient of line AB is:

mAB

y2 - y1

y 2 y1
x2 x1

A(x1,y1)
x2 - x1

Examples: 1. P(2, 4) Q(8, 3)

Remember:

y 2 y1
x 2 x1
3 4

82
7

mPQ

2. M(3, 4) N(6, 14)

y 2 y1
x 2 x1
14 4

63
18

9
= 2

mMN

Horizontal lines have

zero gradient
equations of the form y = k

Vertical lines have

undefined gradient
equations of the form x = k

Parallel lines have equal gradients

Gradient in terms of an angle

y

In the diagram, tan =

so

b
a

but the gradient of the line is

m = tan

b
x

where m is the gradient of the line and is the size of the

angle it makes with the positive direction of the x-axis.

page 1 of 7

b
a

Examples:

For the points A(5, 7) and B(-3, 2) find the angle between line AB and the x-axis.

y 2 y1
x 2 x1
72

53
5

tan = mAB

= tan
5
8

tan =

= 32

Collinearity
Points that lie on the same straight line are collinear.
Important: To get full marks in an exam, when proving points are collinear you must state all
of the following:
the gradients are equal
the lines are parallel
which point is common to both lines
Example: Prove that A(-2, 5), B(-1, 7) and C(2, 13) are collinear.
mAB

y 2 y1
x 2 x1
75

1 2
2

1
= 2

y 2 y1
x 2 x1
13 7

2 1
6

3
=2

mBC

mAB = mBC so AB is parallel to BC,

and B is common to AB and BC.
So A, B and C are collinear.

p3 Exercise 1B qu.4-6, 1-3, 8-10 (qu.7 covered later!)

Gradients of Perpendicular Lines
(PowerPoint: BW Exploring Perpendicular Lines)
P'(-b, a)

y
b
P(a, b)

mOP

b
a

If OP is rotated 90 about O the image of P(a,b) is

P'(-b, a)

b
a

mOP mOP' =

mOP'

a
b

b a
= 1
a b

If two lines with gradients m1 and m2 are perpendicular, then m1 m2 = 1, where m1, m2 0
Conversely, if m1 m2 = 1 then the lines with gradients m1 and m2 must be perpendicular.
page 2 of 7

Example: 1. Find the gradient of a line perpendicular to the line between A(-3, 7) and B(6, -3).
mAB

y 2 y1
73
10
10
=
=

9
9
x 2 x1
36

so mperp =

9
10

p6 Exercise 1D

Equation of a straight line: y = mx + c

If a straight line has gradient m and crosses the y-axis at (0,c) its equation can be written as
y = mx + c
Reminders: The point at which the line crosses the y-axis is called the y-intercept.
If a point lies on a given line, its coordinates must satisfy the equation of the line.

The set of points satisfying a certain condition is called a locus. So the equation y = mx + c
describes the locus of points which lie on a straight line.

Examples: 1.

Find the gradient and y-intercept of the line with equation 3x + 4y 8 = 0.

3x + 4y 8 = 0
4y = 3x + 8
y = 34 x 2
y = mx + c

2.

m =
c=2

3
4

Do the points (3,5) and (2,6) lie on the line with equation y = 4x 7?
x = 3: y = 4x 7
= 437
= 5
(3,5) satisfies the equation y = 4x 7, so it must lie on the line.
(3, 5)

x = 2 : y = 4x 7
= 4 (2) 7
= 15
(2,6) does not satisfy the equation y = 4x 7, so it cannot lie on the line.
(2,6)

p8 Exercise 1E qu.7 & 8 only

page 3 of 7

Equation of a straight line: Ax + By + C = 0

Any equation of the form Ax + By + C = 0 is linear, i.e. it is the equation of a straight line (and
could be rearranged to take the form y=mx+c).
Orally - p10 Exercise 1F qu.3 only
Equation of a straight line: y b = m (x a)
y

The line through A(a,b) and P(x, y) has gradient

y b
m =
xa

P(x, y)
A(a, b)

y b = m (x a)

So
x
Example: 1.

Find the equation of the line with gradient 4, passing through the point (2, 1)
y b = m (x - a)
y + 1 = 4 (x 2)
y + 1 = 4x 8
4x y 9 = 0

2.

(2, 1)
a
b

m=4

(or y = 4x 9)

Find the equation of the line through (3,2) and parallel to y =

1
2

x+7

The line is parallel to y = 12 x + 7 , so it will have the same gradient, i.e.

y b = m (x - a)
(3, 2)
m = 12
y 2 = 12 (x 3)
a
b
3
1
y2 = 2x 2
x 2y +1 = 0
(or 2y = x + 1, or y = 12 x + 12 )
3.

1
2

Find the equation of the line through (3,5) and perpendicular to y = 3x 4

y = 3x 4 has gradient 3, so a perpendicular line will have gradient 13
y b = m (x - a)
(3,5)
m = 13
a
b
y 5 = 13 (x + 3)
y 5 = 13 x 1
x + 3y 12 = 0

(or

3y = x + 12, or y = 13 x + 4 )

p11 Exercise 1G

page 4 of 7

Reminder: To bisect is to cut exactly in half.

M
MN is the perpendicular bisector of AB because it is at right
angles to AB, and cuts it exactly in half.
A

B
N

(To find the mid-point of a line, find the average of its end-points.)

Example: Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the line joining A(2, 5) and
B(6, 3).
mAB =

53
2
1
=
=
26
8
4

mperp = 4

2 6 5 3
midpoint =
,
= (2, 4)
2
2

y b = m (x a)
(2, 4)
y 4 = 4 (x 2)
a
b
y 4 = 4x 8
4x y 4 = 0
(or y = 4x 4)

A
B

m=4

The perpendicular bisectors of the sides of a triangle are concurrent, i.e. they meet at a single
point.

p13 Exercise 1I (minimum qu.1 (a)(d); qu.2 (a), (b))

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An altitude of a triangle is a line drawn from a vertex

to meet the opposite side at right angles.
altitude
A triangle has 3 altitudes.

The 3 altitudes are concurrent.

Example: A(3, 5), B(2, 3) and C(1, 5) are the vertices of a triangle. Find the equation of the
altitude from B.
C(1, 5)

B(2, 3)
(Draw a neat sketch)
A(3, 5)
mAC

y 2 y1
5 (5)
10
=
= 5,

1 3
2
x 2 x1

y b = m (x a)
y 3 = 15 (x 2)
5y 15 = x 2
x 5y + 13 = 0

(2, 3)
a

m=

so

malt =

1
5

1
5

p15 Exercise 1K (minimum qu.1 (a)(d); qu.2, 3, 4)

The median of a triangle is a line drawn from a vertex

to the midpoint of the opposite side.

There are 3 medians.

They are concurrent.

3 medians

page 6 of 7

Example: A(2, 6), B(8, 2) and C(6, 10) are the vertices of a triangle. Find the equation of the
median from C.
(If M is the midpoint of AB, its coordinates
are the average of those of A and B)

C(6, 10)

28 6 2
M=
,
= (5, 2)
2
2
mCM

B(8, 2)

y y1
10 (2)
= 2
= 12

65
x 2 x1

y b = m (x a)
y 10 = 12 (x 6)
y 10 = 12x 72
12x y 62 = 0

C(6, 10)
a
b

A(2, 6)

m = 12

p16 Exercise 1M (minimum qu.1, 2)

p18 Exercise 1N (minimum qu.3(a, b), 4(a, b), 5(a, b)
p19 Exercise 1O (qu.1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11)

page 7 of 7