Section 1.

5
The effect of the parameters m and b on the graph of a linear function:
Let y = b + mx. Then the graph of y against x is a line.
(i) The y-intercept, b, tells us where the line crosses the y-axis.
(ii) If the slope m > 0, the line climbs from left to right.
If the slope m < 0, the line falls from left to right.
If the slope m = 0, the line is horizontal.
(iii) The slope, m, tells us how fast the line is climbing or
falling.
(iv) The larger the magnitude of m (either positive or
negative), the steeper the graph.
Example: With time, t, in years, the population of
three towns P
A
, P
B
, and P
C
are given below.
P
A
= 20000 +1600t
P
B
= 50000 300t
P
C
= 650t + 45000
Which town starts out with the most people? Which
town is growing fastest? Compare their graphs.
Town B starts out with the most people, 50000.
Town A, with a rate of change of 1600 people per
year, grows the fastest of the three towns that grow
linearly.

Graph for P
A
is the
steepest of the three
graphs.

P
B
has the greatest
y-intercept, 50,000
x
y
Town A
Town C
Town B
50000
Equations of Horizontal and Vertical Lines.
Horizontal Line (slope is zero) y = k, where k is a
constant
Vertical Line (slope is undefined) x = k, where k is a
constant

Example:

The horizontal line has an equation of y = 70.
The vertical line has an equation of x = 20.

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
20
10
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
x
y
(20, 70)
Let l
1
and l
2
be two non-vertical lines having slopes
m
1
and m
2
, respectively. Then:
(i) These lines are parallel iff m
1
= m
2
.
(ii) These lines are perpendicular iff
2
1
1
m
m = .
Remarks: (i) any 2 horizontal lines are parallel
and any 2 vertical lines are parallel.
(ii) A horizontal line and a vertical line are
perpendicular.


Example: Find the equation of the line that passes
through the point (2 ,1) and perpendicular to the line
y = 5x 3.

The line y = 5x 3 has slope, 5.
Any line perpendicular to this line has slope 1/5.

We want to find the equation of a line that has slope
1/5 and passes through (2 , 1).

Using the Point-Slope form, we get
y 1 = 1/5(x 2).
Solving for y, we get .
5
7
5
1
+ = x y






Solutions to Selected Problems
Example 1: Page 42, Exercise 3.
The figure shows that Graphs A and B describe increasing
functions with the same y-intercept.
The functions f and g are good candidates since they are
both linear functions with positive slope and same
y-intercept, 20. Since Graph A is steeper than Graph B,
the slope of Graph A is larger than the slope of B.
f(x) = 20 + 2x and g(x) = 20 + 4x have same y-intercept, 20.
The slope of g = 4 > the slope of f = 2.
So, Graph A corresponds to g(x), and Graph B
corresponds to f(x).

The figure shows that Graphs D and E describe decreasing
functions with the same y-intercept.
The functions u and v are good candidates since they are
both linear functions with negative slope and same
y-intercept, 60. Graph E is steeper than Graph D.
u(x) = 60 x and v(x) = 60 2x have same y-intercept, 60.
|The slope of v| = |2| = 2 > |the slope of u| =|1|= 1.
So, Graph D corresponds to u(x), and Graph E
corresponds to v(x).

Clearly, Graph C corresponds to h(x).
Example 2: Page 42, Exercise 6.
Are y = 5x 7 and y = 5x + 8 parallel?
They are parallel because they have the same slope, 5.







Example 3: Page 42, Exercise 13.
Re-write 3x + 5y = 6 in slope-intercept form.
3x + 5y = 6 5y = 3x + 6 y = 3/5x + 6/5.
The slope is 3/5. Any line parallel to this line has slope 3/5.
The line which we want to find passes through (0 , 6), and so
its y-intercept is 6.
Thus, the equation of the line is . 6
5
3
+ = x y
Example 4: Page 43, exercise 18.
Line l
1
has x-intercept, (3, 0), and y-intercept, (0 , 2).
Slope of l
1
= .
3
2
3 0
0 2

=
A
A
x
y

Since line l
1
is perpendicular to line l
2
, the slope of l
2
=
2
3
.
The line l
2
passes through the origin (0 , 0) and therefore has
a y-intercept of 0.
Thus, the equation of line l
2
is .
2
3
x y =


















Example 5: Page 43, exercise 22.
(a) To show that y = f(x) is linear, we solve for y.
Ax + By = C
By = C Ax, and since, B0,
x
B
A
B
C
y =
Because C/B and A/B are constants, the formula is in
linear form with slope =
B
A
and y-intercept =
B
C
.
To find x-intercept, we set y =0 and solve for x.
x
B
A
B
C
= 0
Multiply both sides by B, we get
0 = C Ax
Ax = C x =
A
C

Thus, the x-intercept =
A
C

A>0, B>0, and C>0
x-intercept =
A
C
>0
y-intercept =
B
C
>0
A>0, B>0, and C<0
x-intercept =
A
C
<0
y-intercept =
B
C
<0
A>0, B<0, and C>0
x-intercept =
A
C
>0
y-intercept =
B
C
<0



Positive x-intercept
Positive y-intercept
Negative x-intercept
Negative y-intercept
Positive x-intercept
Negative y-intercept
X
Y
C/A
C/B
X
Y
C/A
C/B
X
Y
C/A
C/B
Example 6: Page 43, exercise 20.
(a) All formulas are linear with b being the daily base fee and
m being the cost per mile.
Company A: A(x) = 20 + 0.20x.
Company B: B(x) = 35 + 0.10x.
Company C: C(x) = 70.
(b)

(c) The slope is the amount charged for each mile driven,
and the vertical intercept is the fixed rental amount charged
per day.
(d) For 0 x < 150, Graph A is the lowest graph. So,
Company A is cheapest if you drive less than 150 miles.
For 0 < x < 350, Graph B is the lowest graph. So, Company
B is cheapest if you drive between 150 miles and 350 miles.
For x > 350, Graph C is the lowest graph. So, Company C
is cheapest if you drive more than 350 miles. These results
make sense because we would expect A to be the cheapest
for a shorter trip since it has the lowest fixed daily rental
rate and C to be the cheapest for a longer trip since it does
not charge per mile.
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
40
80
120
X
Y
A
B
C
Example 7: Page 44, exercise 32.
Line L
1
: y = b
1
+ m
1
x (y-intercept = b
1
, slope = m
1
)
Line L
2
: y = b
2
+ m
2
x (y-intercept = b
2
, slope = m
2
)

(a) To have no points in common the 2 lines will have to
be parallel and distinct. To be parallel, their slopes must
be the same, so m
1
= m
2
. To be distinct we need b
1
b
2
.

(b) To have all points in common the 2 lines will have to
be parallel and the same. To be parallel, their slopes
must be the same, so m
1
= m
2
. To be the same we need
b
1
= b
2
.

(c) To have exactly one point in common the 2 lines will
have to be non-parallel. To be non- parallel we need
m
1
m
2
.

(d) It is impossible for 2 lines to intersect in just 2 points.

















Homework:
Section 1.5
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31, 32.