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 The distance formula calculates the

distance between any 2 points on the
Cartesian Plane
 Given 2 points: ( x A ; y A ) ) and ( x B ; y B ) )

Dis tan ceAB  ( xB  x A )  ( y B  y A )

2 2

Dis tan ce 2
AB  ( xB  x A )  ( y B  y A )
2 2

Deriving the Distance Formula 2

Calculate the length of the line CD.

CD  (2  (5)) 2  (1  6) 2
CD  (2  5) 2  (5) 2
CD  9  25
CD  34
CD  5,8

Using the Distance Formula

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In the diagram below, the coordinates are A (2; 3),
B (5; 7) and C (- 2; 6).
(a) Show that ABC is an isosceles triangle.
(b) Show that ABC is a right-angled triangle.

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  a) An isosceles triangle has 2 sides of equal length.
Therefore, to prove an isosceles triangle, ABC
calculate the length of the sides:
AB 2  ( x B  x A ) 2  ( y B  y A ) 2 AC 2  ( xC  x A ) 2  ( y C  y A ) 2
AB 2  (5  2) 2  (7  3) 2 AC 2  (2  2) 2  (6  3) 2
AB 2  (3) 2  (4) 2 AC 2  (4) 2  (3) 2
AB 2  9  16 AC 2  16  9
AB 2  25 AC 2  25
AB  25 AC  25
AB  5 AC  5

 AB  AC ABC is an Isosceles Triangle.

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 b) The theorem of PythagorasAB 2  AC 2  BC 2
applies to right-angled triangles. Therefore,
calculate the lengths of all the sides and prove
the theorem of Pythagoras:

From (a), we showed AB=5 and AC=5, so now

we
calculate BC:
BC  ( xC  x B ) 2  ( yC  y B ) 2
2

BC 2  ( 2  5) 2  (6  7) 2
BC 2  ( 7) 2  ( 1) 2
BC 2  49  1
BC 2  50
BC  50
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 So, now we prove the theorem of Pythagoras:

AB 2  AC 2  BC 2

AB 2  AC 2  (5) 2  (5) 2
AB 2  AC 2  50

BC 2  50
 AB 2  AC 2  BC 2

Therefore, ABC is a right-angled triangle.

GeoGebra: Analytical Geometry Tool

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 1. Calculate the length of the line
segments in the following diagram.

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 (a) Show that ABC is an isosceles triangle.
 (b) Show that ABC is a right-angled triangle.
 (c) Show that ABC is a scalene triangle.
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 3. Determine the length of the perimeter of a
triangle whose vertices are L (- 1; 2),
M (l; 6) and N (4; 0).

 4. Show that the points A (3; 6) and B (- l; 4)

are equidistant from the point C (2; 3).

 5. If the length of the line segment joining

the points A (1; 2) and B(x; 6) is equal to 5
units, determine the 2 possible values of
x.

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 Three points A, B and C are said to
be collinear if they lie on the same
straight line. A property of collinear
points is that AB + BC = AC.

 By using this property, show that

the following points are collinear:

A (- 1; 0), B (1; 2) and C (3; 4)

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 The gradient is the steepness of the line.
Which Ski Slope is the Steepest?
 It is calculated as the change in y-values
in relation to the corresponding change
in x-values.
 Given 2 points: ( x A ; y A ) ) and ( x B ; y B ) )

yB  y A
m AB 
xB  x A
Calculating the Gradient
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Consider the line segment AB in the diagram below.
rise
m AB 
run
4
m AB 
8
1

2
The gradient of the line segment AB can be seen as a
vertical movement of 4 units upward from A followed by a
horizontal movement of 8 units to the right landing up at B.

Using “Rise over Run” to find the Gradient

Determining “Rise over Run” from a Straight Line Gra 13
Consider the line segment AB in the diagram below.

yB  y A
m AB 
xB  x A
1  (3)
m AB 
3  (5)
1 3
m AB 
35
4
m AB 
8
1
m AB 
2
Calculating the Gradient given Two Points on a Line

The Gradient of a Straight Line 14

Show by means of calculations that the x co-
ordinate of M is 3, if M is a point that lies on
line AB and AB has a gradient of 1:

yB  yM
mBM 
x B  xM
75
1
5 x
5 x  2
 x  2  5
x3
x3

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Determine the gradient of the line joining the
points A ( - 2; 3) and B (1; 3)
yB  yM
m AB 
x B  xM
33
m AB 
1  (2)
0
m AB 
3
m AB 0

Gradients of Horizontal Lines are always = 0

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Determine the gradient of the line joining the
points A (4; 3) and B (4;- 5)
yB  yM
m AB 
x B  xM
53
m AB 
44
8
m AB 
0
m AB  undefined

Gradients of Vertical Lines are always

undefined.
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 If two or more lines are parallel, then
these lines have equal gradients.

m1  m2

Properties of Parallel Lines

Determining if Lines are Parallel

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 If two are perpendicular, then the product
of their gradients equals - 1.

m1  m2  1

Properties of Perpendicular Lines

Determining if Lines are Perpendicular

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Identifying Perpendicular & Parallel Lines

Finding the Equation of Parallel Lines

Finding the Equation of Perpendicular Lines

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1. Calculate the gradients of the
following
line segments:

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2. By calculating the gradients of the following
line segments, determine whether the line
segments are parallel, perpendicular or
neither:
 (a) AB if A (-l; -3) and B (2; 1)
CD if C(4; -1) and D (7; 3)
 (b) AB if A (1; -3) and B (2; 1)
CD if C (4; -1) and D (7; 3)
 (c) AB if A (l; -3) and B (2; 1)
CD if C (- 3; 1) and D (l; 0)
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 4. Line segment AB is parallel to line
segment CD. A (- 5; - 1) and B (- 3; a) are points on
AB. C (- 4; - 3) and D (- 1; 3) are points
on CD. Calculate the value of a.

 5. Line segment AB is perpendicular to line

segment CD. A (- 5; 2) and B (b; -1) are points on
AB. C (- 4; -3) and D (-; 3) are points on CD. Calculate
the value of b.

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 The midpoint of a line segment is the
halfway mark on the line segment.
 Given 2 points: ( x A ; y A ) ) and ( x B ; y B ) )

 x A  xB y A  y B 
M ( xM ; y M )   ; 
 2 2 

Finding the Midpoint

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Calculate the midpoint of line CD:

 x A  xB y A  y B 
MidptCD  ; 
 2 2 
  5  (1) 6  2 
MidptCD  ; 
 2 2 
MidptCD   3;4 

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Determine the value of x and y if M (5; 2) is the
midpoint of the line segment joining the points
A (x; 1) and B (8; y). x x
xM  A B

2
x8
5
2
10  x  8
x2
y A  yB
yM 
2
1 y
2
2
1  1 y
y3 26
1. Determine the midpoints of the following
line segments:

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 2. If M (- 3; 2) is the midpoint of the line
joining the points A(x; 1) and B (- l; y),
calculate the value of x and y.

 3. If M (- 1; 7) is the midpoint of the line

joining the points A(x; 6) and B (2; y),
calculate the value of x and y.

 4. If M (- 1; - 5) is the midpoint of the line

joining the points A(x; y) and B (- 6; - 3),
calculate the value of x and y.

Midpoint Calculator
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 1. Determine the co-ordinates of X, if WXYZ
is a parallelogram, where W(-1;3);
X(x;y); Y(7;8) and Z(3;1).

 2. Is PQRS a rectangle, given P(-2.47;0);

Q(0;4); R(2.47;0); and S(4;-4)? Justify
your answer by means of calculations.

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