HIGHER MATH

Coordiante Geometry

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 Co-ordinate Geometry

Y
5
4
II 3 I
2
1

X
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5
-1
-2
III -3
I
-4
V
-5

The figure above shows the (rectangular) coordinate

plane. The horizontal line is called the x-axis and the
perpendicular vertical line is called the y-axis. The points
at which these two axes intersect, designated O, is called
the origin. The axes divide the plane into four quadrants,
I, II, III and IV, as shown.
Each point in the plane has an x-coordinate and a y-
coordinate. A point is identified by an ordered pair (x, y)

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of numbers in which the x-coordinate is the first number
and the y-coordinate is the second number
Y
5
4
P
3
2
1
O
X
- - - -2 - 1 2 3 4 5
-
-
-
-4
Q -

In the graph above, the (x, y) coordinates of point P are

(2, 3) since P is 2 units to the right of the y-axis (that is, x
= 2) and 3 units above the x-axis (that is, y = 3). Similarly,
the (x, y) coordinates of point Q are (-3, -4). The origin O
has coordinates (0, 0).
One way to find the distance between two points in the
coordinate plane is to use the Pythagorean theorem.

2
 Y
5
R (-2, 4)
4
3
2
1

X
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5
-1
-2
Z -3
S (3, -3)
-4
-5

To find the distance between points R and S using the

Pythagorean theorem, first draw the triangle as shown.
Note that Z has (x, y) coordinates (-2, -3), RZ = 7, and ZS =
5. Therefore, the distance between R and S is equal to
(72 + 52) =  74.
Distance between two points:
 Distance between two points P (x1, y1) and Q (x2, y2)
is given by the following formula.
PQ = x 2  x1 2  y2  y1 2

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1. What is the distance between the two points P (2, -
1) and Q (-3, 1)?
Sol: Apply the above formula, and get the answer to be
29.
2. Find the co-ordinates of a point on x-axis, which is
at a distance of 5 units from the point (6, -3).
Sol: Let the co-ordinates of the point on the x-axis be (x,
0).
As distance = x 2  x1 2  y2  y1 2 ,
So 5 = x  62  0  (3)2
 25 = x2 – 12x + 36 + 9.
 x = 2 or x = 10.
So the required points are (2, 0) and (10, 0).
Slope of a line:
Slope of a line is the tangent of the angle which it makes
with positive direction of the x-axis
y-axis
Q(x2, y2)

P(x1, y1)

Origin x-axis

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The slope of the line joining the points P(x1, y1) and Q(x2,
y 2  y1
y2) is given by slope=
x 2  x1

Area of a Triangle:

y-axis R(x3, y3)

Q(x2, y2)
P(x1, y1)

Origin x-axis

The area of a triangle with its vertices P(x1, y1), Q (x2, y2)
and R(x3, y3) is given by

If the area of the triangle is zero, it implies that the points

are collinear. y P(x, y)
Shifting of origin:
k
h y

O (h, k)
x
x
O (0, 0)

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If the co-ordinates of a point P are (x, y) with reference to
the origin O (0, 0). Now if the origin is shifted the co-
ordinates of the point P with reference to the new origin
will be (x – h, y – k)
Section Formula:
If P is a point dividing the join of two points A(x1, y1) and
B (x2, y2) internally in the ratio m: n, then the coordinates
(x, y) of P are given by-
 mx 2 + nx1 my 2 + ny1 
 , 
 m+ n m+ n 
.
3. Find the co-ordinates of point Z, which divides the
join of P (4, -5) and Q (6, 3) in the ratio 2 : 5.
Sol: Let the co-ordinates of point Z are (x, y).
Now x = mx2  nx1

(2  6)  (5  4) 32
 .
mn 25 7

And y = my2  ny1


(2  3)  {5  (5)}  19
 .
mn 25 7

z=  32 19 
 , 
 7 7

If P(x, y) divides the join of A(x1, y1) and B(x2, y2)

externally in the ratio m : n, then the coordinates of
 mx  m mx  m 
P are given by  2 1 , 2 1 
 mn mn 

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 If P is the midpoint of the line joining the points
A(x1, y1) and B(x2, y2), then coordinates of P are
given by  x  x , y  y 
1 2 1 2

 2 2 

4. Find the co-ordinates of the mid-point of the line

segment joining the points M (4, -6) and N (-2, 4).
Sol: Mid-point =  x1  x 2 y1  y 2 
 ,    4  (2)  6  4 
 ,  = (1, - 1).
 2 2   2 2 

5. Find the co-ordinates of the point of intersection of

the medians of triangle MNO; given M = (-2, 3), N =
(6, 7), O = (4, 1).
Sol: Point of intersection of medians is called as
centroid, at which each median is divided in the
ratio 2 : 1.
Firstly find the mid-point of NO and take it as P.
So P =  6  4 7  1 =
 ,  (5, 4).
 2 2 

Take the point C, where medians meet and it will

divide the median MP in the ratio 2 : 1.
Co-ordinates of C =  (2  5)  (1 2)   (2  4)  (1 3) 
 ,   =  8 , 11  .
 2 1  2 1  3 3 

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 The coordinates of the centroid of a triangle with
vertices A(x1, y1), B (x2, y2) and C (x3, y3) are
 x1  x 2  x 3 y1  y 2  y3 
 , 
 3 3 

 The coordinates of the in-centre I (x, y) of the

triangle with vertices A(x1, y1), B (x2, y2) and C (x3, y3)
are  ax1  bx 2  cx3 , ay1  by 2  cy3  where a, b and c are the
 abc abc 
lengths of three sides opposite to  BAC,  ABC
and  ACB.
 Conditions for a parallelogram: If A(x1, y1), B (x2, y2),
C (x3, y3) and D (x4, y4) are four non collinear points
such that x1 + x3 = x2 + x4 and y1 + y3 = y2 + y4, then
quadrilateral ABCD is a parallelogram.
Conversely, if A(x1, y1), B (x2, y2), C (x3, y3) and D (x4,
y4) form a parallelogram, then x1 + x3 = x2 + x4 and y1
+ y3 = y2 + y4.
Equation of a line: A geometrical condition satisfied by
all points P (x, y) on a straight line when expressed in x
and /or y is called the equation of a straight line.
Equation of lines parallel to the axes:
(i) The equation of a line parallel to the x axis and at a
distance of k units above it is y = k. y = k is also
called the y intercept.

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(ii) The equation of a line parallel to the x axis and at a
distance of k units below it is y = -k. y = -k is also
called the y intercept.
(iii) The equation of a line parallel to the y axis and at a
distance of k units to the right of it is x = k. x = k is
also called the x intercept.
(iv) The equation of a line parallel to the y axis and at a
distance of k units to the left of it is x = -k. x = -k is
also called the x intercept.
Standard forms for the equation of a line:
(i) The Point Slope form: The equation of a straight
line passing through the point (x1, y1) and having
slope m is y – y1 = m (x – x1).
(ii) The Two Point form: The equation of a straight line
passing through the points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) where
x1 ≠ x2 is y  y1  y 2  y1
x  x1 x 2  x1

(iii) Slope Intercept form: The equation of a line having

slope m and making an intercept c on y axis is y =
mx + c.

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(iv) Double Intercept form: The equation of a line
making intercepts a and b, when a ≠ 0 and b ≠ 0 on
the x axis and y axis respectively is x  y  1
a b

(v) The General form: The most general form of an

equation is of the form Ax + By + C = 0, where A, B
and C are real numbers.
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines:
(i) Two lines whose slopes are m1 and m2 are parallel
to each other, if and only if m1 = m2.
(ii) Two lines whose slopes are m1 and m2 are
perpendicular to each other if and only if m1 × m2 =
-1. Thus, if the slope of a line is m, the slope of a
line perpendicular to it is -1/m.
Point of intersection of two lines: If A1x + B1y + C1 = 0 and
A2x + B2y + C2 = 0 are two straight intersecting lines, then
coordinates of the point of intersection can be obtained
by solving the equations simultaneously for x and y.
Angle between two lines: If the equations of the two lines
are A1x + B1y + C1 = 0 and A2x + B2y + C2 = 0, then
A B  A2 B1
tan   1 2 .
A1 A2  B1 B2

Perpendicular distance of a point from a line:

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If P(x1, y1) is any point and Ax + By + C = 0 is a line, then
the perpendicular distance of P from the line is given by
Ax1  By1  C .
A2  B 2

If this point P is the origin, then perpendicular distance is

given by C .
A2  B 2

Perpendicular distance between two lines:

If Ax + By + C1 = 0 and Ax + By + C2 = 0 are two parallel
lines, and the perpendicular distance between them is
C1  C 2
given by .
A2  B 2

Condition of concurrency of three straight lines:

If A1x + B1y + C1 = 0, A2x + B2y + C2 = 0 and A3x + B3y + C3
= 0 are three straight lines, then the three lines will be
concurrent (i.e., intersect at a point) if
A3(B1C2 – B2C1) + B3(C1A2 – C2A1 ) + C3(A1B2 – A2B1) = 0.
6. What is the slope of the line passing through the
points J (-2, 3) and (2, 7)?
Sol:  y 2  y1  =  7  3  4
      1.
 x 2  x1   2  (2)  4

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7. Find the equation of the line whose slope is 2 and y
intercept is – 3.
Sol: Given m = 2 and c = - 3. Substituting values in y =
mx + c, we get y = 2x – 3.
8. Find the equation of the line parallel to the line
passing through (5, 7) and (2, 3) and having x
intercept as -4.
Sol: Slope of the given line = (7 – 3) / (5 – 2) = 4/3. So
the slope of the required line is also 4/3. One point
on this line is (-4, 0). Hence the equation of the line
is
y – 0 = 4/3 (x + 4)  3y = 4x +16.
9. Find the coordinates of the circum-centre of the
triangle whose vertices are (0,0) , (8,0) and (0,6).
Find the Circum-radius also.
Sol: Circum-centre is the point of intersection of the
perpendicular bisectors of the three sides of a
triangle.
Let S (x, y) be the circumcentre. SA = SB = SC.
 x 2  y 2  ( x  8) 2  ( y  0) 2 .
Also x 2  y 2  ( x  0) 2  ( y  6) 2 .

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Squaring x2 + y2 = x2 – 16x + 64 + y2. So x = 4.
Also x2 + y2 = x2 + y2 – 12y + 36.
So y = 3. Hence coordinates of the circumcentre is (4, 3).
Circumradius = SA = x 2  y 2  16  9  5 .

10. A point P in the x – y plane has the co-ordinates as

(- 3, 6). If the origin is shifted to the point (5, 8) then
find the co-ordinates of the point P with reference
to the new origin.
Sol: For a point P(x, y) in the x – y plane if the origin is
shifted to new location at (h, k) than co-ordinates
of the point with reference to the new origin are
 (- 3 – 5, 6 – 8) Y

 (- 8, - 2) .P (x,
y)
(h, k)

O 0,0 X

11. Find the equation of the straight line through the

points (2, 3) and (5, 6).
Sol: The equation of the straight line through point P(x1,
y 2  y1
y1) & Q(x2, y2) is y  y1  x  x1 
x 2  x1

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 63
i.e. (y – 3) = x  2 i.e., y – 3 = x – 2 or y = x + 1
52

12. Find the equation of straight line passing through

(2, 3) and perpendicular to the line 3x + 2y + 4 = 0
 3x
Sol: The given line is 3x + 2y + 4 = 0 or y  2
2
2
Any line perpendicular to it will have slope =
3
2
Thus equation of line through (2, 3) and slope is
3
2
(y – 3) = (x – 2)  3y – 9 = 2x – 4
3
 3y – 2x – 5 = 0
13. Find the perpendicular distance between the
parallel lines 3x + 4y + 3 = 0 and 3x + 4y + 12 = 0
Sol: The distance between parallel line ax + by + c1 = 0
and ax + by + c2 = 0 is given by
c1  c 2 12  3 9
  
a 2  b2 32  4 2 5

14. If (1, 2), (4, 5), (8, 9) and (x, y) are the vertices of a
parallelogram, then find the value of x + y.
Sol: Since the points (1, 2), (4, 5) and (8, 9) are collinear.
Therefore, the given four points cannot form a

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 parallelogram. Therefore the given data is
inconsistent.
15. Find the area of the triangle formed by the vertices
(4, 5), (10, 12) and (-3, 2)
Sol: The area of the triangle having its vertices as P(x1,
y1), Q(x2, y2) and R(x3, y3) is given by
1
x1 y 2  y3   x 2 y3  y1   x 3 y1  y 2 
2
 412  2  10 2  5   35  12 
1
2
 4.14  10.7   3 7   56  70  21 =
1 1
3.5
2 2

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