Coordinate

Geometry
KSSM Form 4 - Additional
Mathematics
 Introductio
n
• Coordinate geometry is a method of analyzing geometric shapes.
• The position of points will usually be referred to in one of these
three ways:
– Fixed point: for example, (2,6).
– Generic fixed points: for example, (x1, y1), (x2, y2).
– General points: for example, (x, y). This is telling us that the point can be
anywhere along a shape.
 The Distance Between two
Points
• Using Pythagoras' Theorem we can now
express the length of the line AB in terms of A,
B and C:
AB2 = AC2 + BC2

Hence, we can re-write the above equation as:

AB2 = (x2 - x1)2 + (y2 - y1)2
• Solving this for AB gives us the equation we are
trying to prove, telling us that the distance
between A and B can be expressed by:

• The length of the line joining the points (x1, y1)

and (x2, y2) is:

• Here's a quick example of how this would work

with numbers:
– The distance between (2,6) and (-3,9) is:
 Distance between 2 points

Use Pythagoras’s
x Theorem
(6,14)
d2 = 122 + 52
d2 = 144 + 25
d 14 – 2 = 12
d2 = 169

(1,2) d = 169 = 13
x
6–1
=5
 Mid-
point
• P is the midpoint of
A and B.
• The x coordinate of P:

• The y coordinate of P:

• In the general case, if the two points are A(x1, y1)

and B(x2, y2) then the midpoint P must be:

• e.g. the midpoint of (2,6) and (-3,9) is (-0.5, 7.5)

Ratio Division
Examples
 Gradient
• The gradient of a straight line measures its slope
in relation to the x-axis. In other words, the amount
that y increases for every unit increase in x.
• The gradient of a line can be positive or
negative.
• A positive gradient has is an 'uphill' slope in
relation to the positive x-axis, and this means that a
positive increase in the x direction is accompanied
by a positive increase in the y direction.
• A negative gradient has a 'downhill' slope in
relation to the positive x-axis. This means that a
positive increase in the x direction is accompanied
by a decrease in the y direction.
How to calculate the gradient of a line
– The gradient of a line is the increase in the y coordinate
divided by the increase in the x coordinate between any 2
points on a line.

– Looking at the graph we can say that:

Note: This method can only be used to find the gradient of a

straight line.
Gradient
What is the gradient of the
line?

Increase in y
Gradient =
Increase in x

Gradient = 5/2 or 2.5

Gradient
What is the gradient
of this line?

Increase in y
Gradient =
Increase in x

This time there is a decrease in y

Gradient = -2/4 or -0.5

 Parallel lines
Suppose that the lines L1, L2 have gradients m1 and
m2. If the lines are parallel then m1 = m2.

Perpendicular lines

Suppose that the lines L1, L2 have gradients m1 and

m2. If the lines are perpendicular then
m1m2 = −1.
Exercises (10 mins)
Exercises
Areas of Polygons
Coordinate Geometry Method
(Shoelace Theorem)
Area of Triangle
Area of Quadrilateral
Example
 The equation of a
straight line
• The line equations can take various forms depending
on the facts we know about the lines.
• So to start, suppose we have a straight line containing
the points in the following list.

– There is a fixed relationship between the x and y co-

ordinates of any point on the line, and the equation
y = x + 2 is always true for points on the line. We can
label the line using this equation.
Linear line equation

y mxc
y - intercept
Gradient
• In general, the equation for a straight line can
always be described by an equation of the form:
y = mx + c
where m is the gradient of the line, and c is where the
line intercepts the y-axis. (This is because the graph
crosses the y-axis when x = 0, and if x = 0, y = c.)
See the diagram below:

A line with gradient 2 that crosses the y-axis at (0, 1) has

equation, y = 2x + 1.
 Line Equations of the form y-y1=m (x-x1)

or m = y-y1
x-x1 Gradient

When y = y1 , x = x1
Line goes through (x1,y1) with gradient m
 Finding the equation given a point and the gradient

Line goes through (1,2) with gradient 3

x
(x,y) Increase in y
Gradient =
Increase in x
y-2 y-2
3 =
x-1
Gradient = 3
y–2 = 3(x–1)
(1,2)
x y – 2 = 3x – 3
x-1
y = 3x - 1
Finding the equation of a line if
we know one point and the
gradient
Finding the equation of a
line through two given
points
Finding equation given 2 points
Example :- Find the equation of the straight line passing
through (-1,2) and (2,11)

Step 1 : Work out the gradient

Increase in y 11 - 2 9
Gradient = = = = 3
Increase in x 2 - -1 3
Step 2: Remember for equations of form y-y1=m(x-x1)

Line goes through (x1,y1) with gradient m

Pick a point, e.g. (-1,2)

y-y1=m(x-x1) y - 2 = 3 (x – (-1))

 y - 2 = 3 (x + 1)
The most general equation
of a straight line
Exercises (10 mins)
Exercises
 Intersection of two
lines
• If the point of intersection is at (x,y), then x and y are the
only points on the line where the same value of x will give
the same value of y in the equations for both lines. So we
must solve the simultaneous equations.
• At the point of intersection the equations of the two lines
are equal. Hence,
L1 = m 1 x + c 1 = m 2 x + c 2 = L 2

• For example: Find where the following two lines meet,

L1: y = 2x + 5, L2: y = -0.5x + 10
– Using m1x + c1 = m2x +c2 (the equation described above)
we know that:
2x + 5 = -0.5x + 10  x = 2.
– So we know the lines intersect where x = 2. Now all we need
is the y value. To do this insert x = 2 into the equation for
either line. If we use line 1 we get, y = 2(2) + 5 = 9
 The point of intersection is (2,9).
 Intersection of a line and a
curve
• As with the intersection of two lines, we...
1) Use substitution to solve the simultaneous equations.
2) Rearrange them to form a quadratic equation.
3) Solve the quadratic by factorising, or by using the
quadratic formula.
4) Find the y-coordinates by substituting these values
into the original equations.
Note: This will give 2, 1, or 0 solutions for the x
coordinate at the point(s) of
intersection.
• In summary: the points of intersection of two curves are
found by solving the equations of the two curves
simultaneously.
– If the equation can be solved (i.e. it has real roots), then the
curves meet.
– If the equation can not be solved (there are no real roots),
and the curves do not meet.
Example: Find where the line y = 3x - 2
meets the curve y = x2 + x - 5.

 The line and curve

intersect at (3,7) and (-1,-
5).
 Practice 1 :

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 Practice 1 :

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 Practice 2 :

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 Practice 2 :

Suggested Solution:
Equation of a circle

(Hint: draw a right-angled triangle inside your

circle, with one vertex at the origin and
another at the circumference)
Equation of a circle
Quickfire Questions

Centre Radius Equation

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Finding the equation using points

Hint: What two things do we

need to use the circle formula?
Test Your Understanding

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Completing the square

Complete the square!

Test Your Understanding

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Tangents, Chords, Perpendicular Bisectors
There are two circle theorems that are of particular relevance to
problems in this chapter, the latter you might be less familiar with:

or
ct
ise
ta

rb
ng

la
en

cu
diu
t ch

di
or
ra

en
s
d

rp
pe
The tangent is The perpendicular
perpendicular bisector of any
to the radius chord passes
(at the point of through the centre
intersection). of the circle.
Examples : Determining the Circle Centre

c
Test Your Understanding

This time we have the gradient, but don’t have

the points where the tangent(s) intersect the
radius.

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Homework : Test Your Understanding (..cont.)

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 Example : PYP- Jun 07, P1-
Q.6

Suggested Solution:
Example : PYP- Nov 07, P1-
Q.6
Suggested Solution:
Example : PYP- Jun 08, P1-
Q.11
Suggested Solution:
Example : PYP- Jun 18, P1-
Q.6
Suggested Solution:
Suggested Solution:

Or
Practice (1) :
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Practice (2) :
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P N

M
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Homework (1) :
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 Homework (2) :

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 Homework (2) :

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Specimen Questions from PYP
Specimen Questions from PYP