Chapter 7

Straight-line graphs
Subtopics
7.1 Length of a line and midpoint
7.2 Parallel and perpendicular lines
7.3 Equations of straight lines
7.4 Areas of rectilinear figures
7.5 Converting from a non-linear equation to linear form
7.6 Converting from a linear form to a non-linear form
7.7 Finding relationships from data
Length of a line and its midpoint
Given that and
Worked example 1
A is the point (-3, 7) and B is the point (6, -2).
a. Find the length of AB.
b. Find the midpoint of AB.
Worked example 2
The distance between two points P (7, a) and Q (a+1, 9) is 15.
Find the two possible values of a.
Worked example 3
Three of the vertices of a parallelogram ABCD are A(-10, 1), B(6, -2) and
C(14, 4).
a. Find the midpoint of AC.
b. Find the coordinates of D.
Practice exercises
The distance between two points P(10, 2b) and Q(b, -5) is .
Find the two possible values of b.
The coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment joining P(-8, 2) and
Q(a, b), are (5, -3).
Find the value of a and the value of b.
Three of the vertices of a parallelogram ABCD are A(-7, 6), B(-1, 8) and
C(7, 3).
a. Find the midpoint of AC.
b. Find the coordinates of D.
The point P(2k, k) is equidistant from A(-2, 4) and B(7, -5).
Find the value of k.
Parallel and perpendicular lines
.

If a line is parallel, the gradient is the same.

If a line is perpendicular, the gradient is the negative reciprocal.

Worked example 1
The coordinates of 3 points are A(8-k, 2), B(-2, k) and C(-8, 2k).
Find the possible values of k if A,B and C are collinear.
Worked example 2
The vertices of triangle ABC are A(-4, 2), B(5, -5) and C(k, k+2).
Find the possible values of k if angle ACB is 90°.
Practice exercises
A(-1, -5), B(5, -2) and C(1, 1).
ABCD is a trapezium.
AB is parallel to DC and angle BAD is 90°.
Find the coordinates of D.
The midpoint of the line segment joining P(-2, 3) and Q(4, -1) is M.
The point C has coordinates (-1, -2).
Show that CM is perpendicular to PQ.
The coordinates of 3 points are A(-4, 4), B(k, -2) and C(2k+1, -6).
Find the value of k if A, B and C are collinear.
The vertices of triangle ABC are A(-k, -2), B(k, -4) and C(4, k-2).
Find the possible values of k if angle ABC is 90°.
Equations of straight lines
Worked example 1
Find the equation of the straight-line
a. with gradient 2 and passing through the point (4, 7)
b. passing through the points (-5, 8) and (1, -4).
Worked example 2
Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the line joining
A(3, 2) and B(7, 10).
Practice exercises
Find the equation of the line
a. parallel to the line y = 2x + 4, passing through the point (6, 2)
b. perpendicular to the line 2x + 3y = 12, passing through the point (7, 3).
P is the point (2, 5) and Q is the point (6, 0).
A line L is drawn through P, perpendicular to PQ to meet the y-axis at the point R.
a. Find the equation of the line L.
b. Find the coordinates of the point R.
c. Find the area of triangle OQR where O is the origin.
The perpendicular bisector of the line joining A(-1, 4) and B(2, 2) intersects the
x-axis at P and the y-axis at Q.
a. Find the coordinates of P and of Q.
b. Find the length of PQ.
c. Find the area of triangle OPQ where O is the origin.
The line has equation 3x + 2y = 12.
The line has equation y = 2x - 1.
The lines and intersect at the point A.
a. Find the coordinates of A.
b. Find the equation of the line through A which is perpendicular to the line .
The coordinates of triangle ABC are A(2, -1), B(3, 7) and C(14, 5).
P is the foot of the perpendicular line from B to AC.
a. Find the equation of BP.
b. Find the coordinates of P.
c. Find the lengths of AC and BP.
d. Use your answers to part c to find the area of triangle ABC.
Areas of rectilinear figures
If the vertices of a shape is given as points , and ,

Or when written in matrix form,

Worked example 1
Find the area of a triangle with vertices .
Worked example 2
The vertices of a pentagon ABCDE are

Find the area of the pentagon.

Practice exercises
Find the area of the quadrilateral .
A is the point (-4, 0) and B is the point (2, 3).
M is the midpoint of the line AB.
Point C is such that .
a. Find the coordinates of M and C.
b. Show that CM is perpendicular to AB.
c. Find the area of triangle ABC.
AB is parallel to DC and BC is perpendicular to AB.
a. Find the coordinates of C.
b. Find the area of trapezium ABCD.
ABCD is a square.
A is the point (-2, 0) and C is the point (6, 4).
AC and BD are diagonals of the square, which intersect at M.
a. Find the coordinates of M, B and D.
b. Find the area of ABCD.
The coordinates of 3 of the vertices of a parallelogram ABCD are A(-4, 3), B(5, -5)
and C(15, -1).
a. Find the coordinates of the points of intersection of the diagonals.
b. Find the coordinates of the point D.
c. Find the area of parallelogram ABCD.
Linear law
To convert a non-linear equation (not y=mx+c) to a linear one (y=mx+c),
Rearrange the equation to the form , where Y and X are functions of x and y, and m
and c are constants.
*The Y function must contain y, the X function must contain x. They cannot contain
a and b.
Worked example 1
Convert where a and b are constants, into the form
Worked example 2
Convert , where a and b are constants, into the form .
Practice exercises
Convert each of the following into the form .
Convert each of the following into the form .