Mathematics

Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

LESSON 11.3
Midpoint and the Perpendicular Bisector
Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Test Your Prerequisite Skills 2

DepEd Competency 2

Objectives 3

Warm-Up! 3

Learn about It! 4

Let’s Practice 6

Check Your Understanding 11

Key Points 12

Bibliography 12
 Mathematics
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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

Lesson 11.3
Midpoint and the Perpendicular
Bisector

Fig. 1. Navigation App

Introduction
Let us say that you are living in the southern part of NCR, and you have a friend who lives in
the northern part of NCR. You want to choose a meeting place convenient for both of you, so
you decided to meet halfway. However, where exactly is this halfway?

With the help of navigation apps, you can determine the halfway point of your locations. But

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

did you know that this is possible because of mathematics? There is a formula that can help
you determine the midpoint of two points.

In this lesson, you will learn about the midpoint and the perpendicular bisector.

Test Your Prerequisite Skills

Before you get started, answer the following items on a separate sheet of paper. This will help
you assess your prior knowledge and practice some skills that you will need in studying this
lesson. Show your complete solution.

1. Determine the slope of the following linear equations.

a. 3𝑥 + 5𝑦 = 1
b. 2𝑥 − 𝑦 = 4
c. 𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 1

2. Determine the slope of the line perpendicular to the graph of the linear equations
below.
a. 𝑥 + 4𝑦 = 1
b. 3𝑥 − 𝑦 = 2

DepEd Competency
This lesson serves as an enrichment for the following K-12 competencies:
• Derives the distance formula.

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Correctly determine the midpoint of two points in the Cartesian

coordinate system.

● Correctly solve for the equation of the perpendicular bisector of a given

line segment.

● Correctly solve word problems involving the midpoint of a segment and

its perpendicular bisector.

Warm-Up!

The Boat is Sinking!

Materials
● paper
● marker
● scissors

Instructions
1. This activity may be done by the whole class,
preferably in a wide-open area.
2. Your teacher will give you time to cut out pieces of
paper and number them from 0 to 10.
3. Your teacher will start the activity when each one

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

has his or her set of numbered cutouts.

4. For the first round, your teacher will shout “THE BOAT IS SINKING. GROUP
YOURSELVES INTO _____” (odd numbers will be used).
5. You will be given time to group yourselves based on the number your teacher said.
You need to make a straight line where the person in the middle will serve as the ZERO
(showing his/her cutout with the zero digit). The students to the left and to the right of
ZERO must present their cutouts showing the number based on how many steps they
are from ZERO.
6. The groups who incorrectly showed the proper numbering will be eliminated.
7. The activity will end once a certain number of participants are eliminated.

Learn about It!

The activity in Warm Up! shows how far you are from the middle person in your group or line.
Now, imagine if your line is drawn in a coordinate grid. Your location on the line can be defined
by an ordered pair. How can we determine the distance of your location from the middle,
especially if the line formed is not vertical or horizontal?

The midpoint of a line segment is a point found halfway or in the middle of the segment. This
point divides the segment into two equal parts.

Essential Question
When is solving for the midpoint of a line segment useful?

Consider the two points (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) and (𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ).

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

The point halfway the segment connecting 𝑥1 and 𝑥2 can be obtained by adding 𝑥1 and 𝑥2 and
dividing the sum by two. Likewise, the point halfway the segment connecting 𝑦1 and 𝑦2 can be
obtained using the same procedure. This process is the same as finding the average of two
numbers. Thus, the average between two numbers is also the number in the middle of the
𝑥1 +𝑥2 𝑦1 +𝑦2
two numbers. In this case, we have 2
for the 𝑥-values and 2
for the 𝑦-values. Therefore,

the coordinates of the midpoint are determined as follows:

𝑥1 + 𝑥2 𝑦1 + 𝑦2
𝑀=( , ).
2 2

The line passing through the midpoint intersecting the segment at a right angle is called a
perpendicular bisector.

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

Recall that the slope of the perpendicular bisector is equal to the negative reciprocal of the
segment’s slope. That is,
1
𝑚⊥ = − ,
𝑚

where 𝑚⊥ is the slope of the perpendicular bisector and 𝑚 is the slope of the segment joining
the two points.

Essential Question
How will you relate the equations of a line segment and its perpendicular
bisector?

Let’s Practice
Example 1
Find the midpoint of the segment joining the points (3, −7) and (−1, 9).

Solution
Substitute the given values in the midpoint formula.

𝑥1 + 𝑥2 𝑦1 + 𝑦2
𝑀=( , )
2 2
3 + (−1) (−7) + 9
𝑀=( , )
2 2
2 2
𝑀=( , )
2 2
𝑀 = (1, 1)

Thus, the midpoint of the segment is (𝟏, 𝟏).

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

Try It Yourself!
Find the midpoint of the segment joining the points (2, 14) and (3, −5).

Example 2
The midpoint of ̅̅̅̅
𝐴𝐵 in the coordinate plane is (3, 4). If the coordinates of 𝐴 are (−1, 7), what
are the coordinates of 𝐵?

Solution
The midpoint of the segment ̅̅̅̅
𝐴𝐵 is (3, 4). Let us label these coordinates as (𝑥𝑀 , 𝑦𝑀 ). Also, label
the coordinates of points 𝐴 and 𝐵 as (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) and (𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ), respectively.

𝑥1 + 𝑥2
𝑥𝑀 =
2
−1 + 𝑥2
3=
2
6 = −1 + 𝑥2
7 = 𝑥2

𝑦1 + 𝑦2
𝑦𝑀 =
2
7 + 𝑦2
4=
2
8 = 7 + 𝑦2
1 = 𝑦2

Therefore, the coordinates of 𝐵 are (𝟕, 𝟏).

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

Try It Yourself!
The midpoint of ̅̅̅̅
𝐴𝐵 in the coordinate plane is (2, 5). If the coordinates of 𝐴 are (3, −5), what
are the coordinates of point 𝐵?

Example 3
Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the segment joining the points (4, 9) and
(−2, −7).

Solution
Step 1: Find the midpoint of the segment joining the two given points.

𝑥1 + 𝑥2 𝑦1 + 𝑦2
𝑀=( , )
2 2
4 + (−2) 9 + (−7)
𝑀=( , )
2 2
2 2
𝑀=( , )
2 2
𝑀 = (1,1)

Step 2: Find the slope of the segment joining the two points.

𝑦2 − 𝑦1
𝑚=
𝑥2 − 𝑥1
−7 − 9
𝑚=
−2 − 4
−16
𝑚=
−6
8
𝑚=
3

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

Step 3: Find the slope of the perpendicular bisector.

1
𝑚⊥ = −
𝑚
1
𝑚⊥ = −
8
3
3
𝑚⊥ = −
8

Step 4: Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector.

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Substitute 𝑚⊥ = − 8 and 𝑀 = (1,1) in the point-slope form of the linear

equation.

𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑚(𝑥 − 𝑥1 )
3
𝑦 − 1 = − (𝑥 − 1)
8
3 3
𝑦−1=− 𝑥+
8 8
8𝑦 − 8 = −3𝑥 + 3
3𝑥 + 8𝑦 − 8 − 3 = 0
3𝑥 + 8𝑦 − 11 = 0

Thus, the equation of the perpendicular bisector is 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟖𝒚 − 𝟏𝟏 = 𝟎.

Try It Yourself!
Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the segment joining the points (3, −1)
and (−5, 7).

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

Real-World Problem
Example 4
The soon-to-be-built subdivision in Jen’s barangay can be
drawn in a coordinate grid. Jen’s parents bought a house
located at (0, 6), and her friend Dana’s also bought a house
at (−2, −10). If a café will be built between Jen and Dana’s
houses, at what coordinates will the café be located?

Solution
Substitute the given values in the formula.

𝑥1 + 𝑥2 𝑦1 + 𝑦2
𝑀=( , )
2 2
0 + (−2) 6 + (−10)
𝑀=( , )
2 2
−2 −4
𝑀=( , )
2 2
𝑀= (−1, −2)

Thus, the café will be located at point (−𝟏, −𝟐).

Try It Yourself!
What will be the equation of a street to be built passing through the café and perpendicular
to the street connecting Jen’s and Dina’s house in Example 4?

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

Check Your Understanding

1. Find the coordinates of the midpoint of 𝐴𝐵
̅̅̅̅ given the following coordinates.

a. 𝐴(10, 2) and 𝐵(−2, 8)

b. 𝐴(9, 3) and 𝐵(−2, −5)
c. 𝐴(7, 8) and 𝐵(−1, 6)
d. 𝐴(4, 11) and 𝐵(−4, 3)
e. 𝐴(6, −2) and 𝐵(10, −12)

2. Suppose 𝐵 is the midpoint of ̅̅̅̅

𝐴𝐶 . Find the missing coordinates.
a. 𝐵(5, 2) and 𝐴(7, 1)
b. 𝐵(5, 1) and 𝐶(1, −3)
c. 𝐵(−1, −3) and 𝐶(−5, 2)
d. 𝐵(−3, 4) and 𝐴(1, −4)
1 1
e. 𝐵 (2 , 2) and 𝐶(5, 0)

3. Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the segment joining the
following points.
a. 𝐴(10,2) and 𝐵(−2,8)
b. 𝐴(9,3) and 𝐵(1, −5)
c. 𝐴(7,8) and 𝐵(−1,6)

4. Solve the following problem completely.

A mini park was proposed to be built in the middle of two school buildings. On a school
map drawn on a coordinate plane, the coordinates of the first and second buildings
are (10, 30) and (170, 110), respectively.

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Grade 10 • Unit 11: Distance Between Points and Lines

a. What are the coordinates of the point where the mini park will be constructed?

b. If a covered walkway will also be built perpendicular to the walkway connecting

the two buildings, what will be the equation of the covered walkway?

Key Points

● The midpoint is the point found halfway or in the middle of a segment. It divides the
segment into two equal parts.
○ The midpoint formula shows the coordinate of the midpoint of a line segment
𝑥1 +𝑥2 𝑦1 +𝑦2
with endpoints (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) and (𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ). The formula is 𝑀 = ( 2
, 2 ).

● The perpendicular bisector is the line intersecting a segment through its midpoint at
a right angle.
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○ The slope of the perpendicular bisector of a line with slope 𝑚 is 𝑚⊥ = − 𝑚.

Bibliography
Pierce, Rod. “Midpoint of a Line Segment.” Math Is Fun. Retrieved 30 May 2019 from
https://bit.ly/2HM7hkh

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