1.3: LINES ABUJIYA, M.R.

1.3: LINES

Section Outline:
▪ Slopes of lines ▪ Point-slope form ▪ Slope-intercept form ▪ Parallel and Perpendicular lines.
▪ Graph of lines

I. Slopes of Lines:

Nonvertical Lines: The slope m of a nonvertical line that passes through the points P1  x1 , y1 

and P2  x2 , y2  with x1  x2 is given by

y2  y1 y change in y rise
m    
x2  x1 x change in x run

y 2  y1 y1  y 2
Caution: m  or m 
x 2  x1 x1  x 2

y 2  y1 y1  y 2
and not m  or m 
x1  x 2 x 2  x1

Vertical Lines: The slope of the vertical line x  a is undefined.

Horizontal Lines: The slope of the horizontal line y  b is zero  i.e. m  0  .

Lines with various Slopes:

1. A line with a positive slope rises from

left to right.
2. A line with a negative slope falls from
left to right.
3. When the slope is positive, the function
is increasing.
4. When the slope is negative, the function
is decreasing.

Page 1
1.3: LINES ABUJIYA, M.R.

Example 1: Find the slope of the line passing through the given points
(a)  2, 4  ,  2,  6  (b)  3, 4  ,  3, 7  (c)  5,  2  ,  3,  2 

Example 2: If the points  k ,  8  ,  1, 7  and  2,  2  lies on the same straight line (collinear), find

the value of k. (Similar to example 4, section 1.1).

II. Point – Slope Form:

An equation of the line that passes through the point  x 1 , y 1  and has slope m is given by

y  y 1  m x  x 1 

To find such an equation of a line, we need i. a point  x1 , y1 

ii. slope m of the line.

Example 3: Find the equation of the line with slope = 2 3 that passes through the point  3, 4  .

Example 4: Find the equation of the line having x– intercept – 4 and y– intercept 2.

Example 5: Find the equation for the lines whose graph is given.

(a) (b) (c)

III. Slope – Intercept Form:

An equation of the line that has slope m and y –intercept  0, b  is given by

y  mx  b
General Equation: A linear equation of the form Ax  By  C  0 , where A, B  0 , is
called the general equation of a line.

Page 2
1.3: LINES ABUJIYA, M.R.

Vertical Lines: The equation of a vertical line through the point  a, b  is x  a .

Horizontal Lines: The equation of a horizontal line through the point  a, b  is y  b .

Example 6: Find the slope and y-intercept of each of the following line.
(a) y  x  0 (b) 3x  9  0 (c) 2 y  4  0 (d) 3x  2 y  6

Example 7: Find an equation of the line through the points  2, 4  and  2, 2  .

Example 8: Find an equation for the horizontal and vertical lines through the point  8,  3 .

IV. Parallel and Perpendicular Lines:

Let l1 be the graph of y1  m1 x  b and l2 be the graph of y2  m2 x  b . Then

l1 and l2 are parallel if m1  m2

l1 and l2 are perpendicular if m1  m2   1 or m1  1 m2

Example 9: Find the equation of the line having x– intercept 3 and perpendicular to 5x  2 y  4 .

Example 10: Find the equation of the line passing through the point  2, 4  and parallel to the line

3x  2 y  5 .

Example 11: Find the value of k if the line passing through the point  2, 6  and  4, k  is

perpendicular to the line 3x  2 y  1  0 .

Example 12: If the points U  3, 3 , V  8, k  and 11, 5  are vertices of a right triangle, with right

angle at V, find the value of k. (Similar to example 5, section 1.1)

V. Graph of Lines:

5
Example 13: Graph the line passing through the point  1, 5  and having slope  .
3

Page 3