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Determine The Equation of A Straight Line in The Plane

This document provides information about determining the equation of a straight line, including: 1) The standard form equation for a non-vertical line given a point and slope. 2) How to calculate the slope between two points on a line. 3) The equations for vertical and horizontal lines. 4) The relationship between lines' slopes and whether they are parallel or perpendicular. Several examples are worked through to demonstrate finding the equation of a line given information like two points, a slope and point, or being parallel/perpendicular to another line.

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26 views2 pages

Determine The Equation of A Straight Line in The Plane

This document provides information about determining the equation of a straight line, including: 1) The standard form equation for a non-vertical line given a point and slope. 2) How to calculate the slope between two points on a line. 3) The equations for vertical and horizontal lines. 4) The relationship between lines' slopes and whether they are parallel or perpendicular. Several examples are worked through to demonstrate finding the equation of a line given information like two points, a slope and point, or being parallel/perpendicular to another line.

Uploaded by

ksr131
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Determine the equation of a straight line in the plane

Some Facts about lines


(1) For non vertical line L, if L passes a point (x0 , y0 ) with slope m, then an equation of
line L is
y y0 = m(x x0 ).
(2) If a non vertical line L passes through distinct points (x1 , y1 ) and x2 (y2 ), then the slope
of L is
m=

y2 y1
.
x2 x1

(3) A vertical line passing through (x0 , y0 ) has equation x = x0 ; a horizontal line passing
through (x0 , y0 ) has equation y = y0 .
(4) A line L intersects the x-axis at (a, 0) (the number a will be called the x-intersect of L)
and the y-axis at (0, b) (the number b will be called the y-intersect of L) has equation
x y
+ = 1.
a
b
(5) Two non vertical lines are parallel if and only if they have the same slope; and two non
vertical lines are perpendicular to each other if and only if the product of their slopes equals
1.
(6) The angle between the x-axis and a non vertical line L is called an angle of inclination, and the slope of L is m = tan .

Example 1 Find an equation of the line L that passes through (2, 3) and (5, 3).
Solution: Then the slope of L is
m=

3 (3)
6
= = 2.
52
3

As L passes through (2, 3), an equation of L is


y (3) = 2(x 2).

Example 2 Find an equation of the line L that has slope 6 and y-intersect 7.

Solution: The line has y-intersect 7 means that (0, 7) is on the line. Therefore an equation
of L is
y 7 = 6(x 0).
Example 3 Find an equation of the line L that has angle of inclination 135o and contains
(4, 2).
Solution: The slope of L is m = tan 135o = tan 3
4 = 1 Therefore an equation of L is
y 2 = 1(x 4).

Example 4 Find an equation of the line L that passes through (1, 5) and is parallel to the
line with equation 2x + y = 10.
Solution: Rewrite 2x + y = 10 into y = 2x + 10. Then the slope of this line is 2. Note
that L also has the same slope and so an equation of L is
y 5 = 2(x 1).

Example 5 Find an equation of the line L that passes through (1, 5) and is perpendicular
to the line with equation 2x + y = 10.
Solution: Rewrite 2x + y = 10 into y = 2x + 10. Then the slope of this line is 2. Let
m denote the slope of L. Then (2)m = 1, and so m = 21 . Thus an equation of L is
1
y 5 = (x 1).
2

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