General and

Standard
Equation of a
Line
(by Marlon Morcilla)
General Equation of a Line

• It has a form of;

– Ax + By + C = 0
Where: A, B and C are constants
x and y are variables
And;
Slope m of the Line: m = -A/B
X-Intercept: a = -C/A
Y-Intercept: b = -C/B
Standard Equation of a
Line
• The Point-Slope Form
y – y1 = m(x – x1)
• The Slope-Intercept Form
y = mx + b
• The Two-Point Form
y – y1 = [(y2-y1)/(x2-x1)](x – x1)
• The Intercept Form
x/a + y/b = 1
Standard Equation of a Line:
Point-Slope Form
• Problem: Find the equation of a line passing thru the
point (-2,1) and having slope of 3. Draw the line.
• Solution:
Given: Point P (-2,1) with slope m = 3
Substituting the given values to the Point-Slope
Form, we have;
y – y1 = m(x – x1)
y –1 = 3 [x – (-2)]
y –1 = 3 [x + 2]
y –1 = 3x + 6
y – 3x -7 = 0
Standard Equation of a Line:
Point-Slope Form (Continued)
• Drawing the line.
Standard Equation of a Line:
Slope-Intercept Form
• Problem: Find the equation of a line having y-intercept
-1.75 and slope 0.5. Draw the line.
• Solution:
Given: b = y-intercept = -1.75 with slope m = 0.5
Substituting the given values to the Slope-Intercept
Form, we have;
y = mx + b
y = 0.5x + (-1.75)
y = 0.5x -1.75
then by multiplying the whole equation by 4
(to remove decimal numbers), we have;
4y = 2x - 7 or 4y-2x+7=0
Standard Equation of a Line:
Slope-Intercept Form (Continued)
• Drawing the line.
Standard Equation of a Line:
Two-Point Form
• Problem: Find the equation of aline through the points
P1(-2,1) and P2(3,5). Draw the line.
• Solution:
Given: Two Points P1(-2,1) and P2 (3,5)
Substituting the given values to the Two-Point Form, we
have;
y – y1 = [(y2-y1)/(x2-x1)](x – x1)
y – (1) = [(5-1)/(3-(-2))](x – (-2))
y –1 = [4/(3+2)](x+2)
y –1 = [4/5](x+2)
Then by multiplying the whole equation by 5, we have;
5 (y – 1) = 4(x + 2)
5y – 5 = 4x + 8
4x – 5y + 13 = 0
Standard Equation of a Line:
Two-Point Form (Continued)
• Drawing the line.
Standard Equation of a Line:
Intercept Form
• Problem: Find the equation of a line having an x-
intercept -2 and y-intercept 3. Draw the line.
• Solution:
Given: a = x-intercept = -2 with
b = y-intercept = 3
Substituting the given values to the Intercept Form, we have;
x/a + y/b = 1
x/-2 + y/3 = 1
Getting the LCD, we have;
Standard Equation of a Line:
Intercept Form (Continued)
• Drawing the line.
Exercises
(To be submitted on or before
25th April)
• 1. Find the equation of a line through Point P(3,-2)
with slope 0.75. Then draw the line
• 2. Find the equation of the line through points P1(-1,2)
and P2(3,4).
• 3. Find the equation of the line with slope m = 2/3 and
y-intercept -9/5.
• 4. Find the equation of the line with intercepts a = 2
and b = -5.
• And for each problem above, define the slope m, x-
intercept, y-intercept and draw the line.