10TH EDITION

COLLEGE
ALGEBRA

LIAL
HORNSBY
SCHNEIDER

2.5 - 1
 Equations of Lines; Curve Fitting
2.5
Point-Slope Form
Slope-Intercept Form
Vertical and Horizontal Lines
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Modeling Data
Solving Linear Equations in One Variable
by Graphing

2.5 - 2
Point-Slope Form

The line with slope m passing through the

point (x1, y1) has an equation
y  y1  m( x  x1 ),
the point –slope form of the equation of a
line.

2.5 - 3
 Example 1 USING THE POINT-SLOPE FORM
(GIVEN A POINT AND THE SLOPE)
Find an equation of the line through (– 4, 1)
having slope – 3.
Solution Here x1   4, y1  1, and m  3.
y  y1  m  x  x1  Point-slope form

y  1  3  x  (  4) x1   4, y1  1, m  3

y  1  3  x  4  Be careful
with signs.

y  1  3 x  12 Distributive property

y  3 x  11 Add 1.
2.5 - 4
 Example 2 USING THE POINT-SLOPE FORM
(GIVEN TWO POINTS)
Find an equation of the line through (– 3, 2)
and (2, – 4).
Solution Find the slope first.
4  2 6
m  Definition of slope
2  ( 3) 5
6
The slope m is  . Either ( 3,2) or (2,  4)
5
can be used for  x1, y1  . We choose  3,2  .
2.5 - 5
 Example 2 USING THE POINT-SLOPE FORM
(GIVEN TWO POINTS)
Find an equation of the line through (– 3, 2)
and (2, – 4).
Solution
y  y1  m  x  x1  Point-slope form

6
y  2    x  ( 3) x1 = – 3, y1 = 2, m = – 6/5
5
5  y  2   6  x  3  Multiply by 5.

2.5 - 6
 Example 2 USING THE POINT-SLOPE FORM
(GIVEN TWO POINTS)
Find an equation of the line through (– 3, 2)
and (2, – 4).
Solution
5  y  2   6  x  3  Multiply by 5.

5y  10  6 x  18 Distributive property.

6 8
y  x Add 10; divide by 5.
5 5

2.5 - 7
 Slope-Intercept Form
As a special
case,suppose that a
y  y1  m  x  x1 
line passes through
the point (0, b), so the
y  b  m  x  0
line has y-intercept b.
If the line has slope m, y  mx  b
then using the point-
slope form with x1 = 0 Slope y-intercept
and y1 = b gives

2.5 - 8
Slope-Intercept Form
The line with slope m and y-intercept b
has an equation
y  mx  b,

the slope-intercept form of the

equation of a line.

2.5 - 9
 Example 3 FINDING THE SLOPE-INTERCEPT
FORM (GIVEN TWO POINTS)
Find the slope and y-intercept of the line with
equation 4x +5y = – 10.
Solution Write the equation in slope-
intercept form.
4 x  5y  10
5y   4 x  10 Subtract 4x.
4
y   x 2 Divide by 5.
5
m b
2.5 - 10
 Example 5 FINDING AN EQUATION FROM A
GRAPH
Use the graph of the linear function  shown
here to complete the following.
a. Find the slope,
y-intercept, and
x-intercept.
–3
Solution The line
falls 1 unit each time –1
the x-value 1 1 y = (x)
increases by 3. Slope    .
3 3

2.5 - 11
 Example 5 FINDING AN EQUATION FROM A
GRAPH
Use the graph of the linear function  shown
here to complete the following.
a. Find the slope,
y-intercept, and
x-intercept.
–3
Solution The line
intersects the y-axis –1
at point (0, – 1). The
y = (x)
y-intercept is – 1.

2.5 - 12
 Example 5 FINDING AN EQUATION FROM A
GRAPH
Use the graph of the linear function  shown
here to complete the following.
a. Find the slope,
y-intercept, and
x-intercept.
–3
Solution The line
intersects the x-axis –1
at point ( – 3, 0).
y = (x)
The x-intercept is
– 3.
2.5 - 13
 Example 5 FINDING AN EQUATION FROM A
GRAPH
Use the graph of the linear function  shown
here to complete the following.
b. Write the
equation that
defines .
–3

1
( x )   x  1 –1
3
y = (x)

2.5 - 14
Equations of Vertical and
Horizontal lines
An equation of the vertical line through
the point (a, b) is x = a.
An equation of the horizontal line
through the point (a, b) is y = b.

2.5 - 15
Parallel Lines

Two distinct nonvertical lines are

parallel if and only if they have the
same slope.

2.5 - 16
Perpendicular Lines
Two lines neither of which is vertical,
are perpendicular if and only if their
slopes have a product of – 1. Thus, the
slopes of perpendicular lines, neither
of which are vertical, are negative
reciprocals.

2.5 - 17
 Example 6 FINDING EQUATIONS OF PARALLEL
AND PERPENDICULAR LINES

Find the equation in slope-intercept form of

the line that passes through the point (3, 5)
and satisfies the given condition.
a. parallel to the line 2x + 5y = 4
Solution (3, 5) is on the line so we need to
find the slope to use the point-slope form.
Write the equation in the slope-intercept form
(solve for y).

2.5 - 18
 Example 6 FINDING EQUATIONS OF PARALLEL
AND PERPENDICULAR LINES

Find the equation in slope-intercept form of

the line that passes through the point (3, 5)
and satisfies the given condition.
a. parallel to the line 2x + 5y = 4
Solution
2x  5y  4
5y  2x  4 Subtract 2x.

2 4
y  x Divide by 5.
5 5
2.5 - 19
 Example 6 FINDING EQUATIONS OF PARALLEL
AND PERPENDICULAR LINES

Find the equation in slope-intercept form of

the line that passes through the point (3, 5)
and satisfies the given condition.
a. parallel to the line 2x + 5y = 4
Solution 2 4
y  x
5 5
The slope is – 2/5. Since the lines are
parallel, – 2/5 is also the slope of the line
whose equation is to be found.
2.5 - 20
 Example 6 FINDING EQUATIONS OF PARALLEL
AND PERPENDICULAR LINES

Find the equation in slope-intercept form of

the line that passes through the point (3, 5)
and satisfies the given condition.
a. parallel to the line 2x + 5y = 4
Solution
y  y1  m  x  x1  Point-slope form
2
y  5    x  3 m = – 2/5, x1 = 3,
5 y1 = 5
2 6
y 5   x  Distributive property
5 5
2.5 - 21
 Example 6 FINDING EQUATIONS OF PARALLEL
AND PERPENDICULAR LINES

Find the equation in slope-intercept form of

the line that passes through the point (3, 5)
and satisfies the given condition.
a. parallel to the line 2x + 5y = 4
Solution 2 6
y 5   x  Distributive property
5 5
2 31
y  x Add 5 (25/5).
5 5

2.5 - 22
 Example 6 FINDING EQUATIONS OF PARALLEL
AND PERPENDICULAR LINES

Find the equation in slope-intercept form of

the line that passes through the point (3, 5)
and satisfies the given condition.
b. perpendicular to the line 2x + 5y = 4
Solution We know the slope of the line, so
the slope of any line perpendicular to it is 5/2.

y  y1  m  x  x1 

2.5 - 23
 Example 6 FINDING EQUATIONS OF PARALLEL
AND PERPENDICULAR LINES

b. perpendicular to the line 2x + 5y = 4

Solution y  y1  m  x  x1 
5
y  5   x  3 5
m  , x1  3, y1  5
2 2
5 15
y 5  x  Distributive property
2 2
5 5
y  x Add 5 (10/2).
2 2
2.5 - 24
Equation Description When to Use
y = mx +b Slope-Intercept Form Easily identified and
Slope is m. used to quickly graph
y-intercept is b. the equation.
y – y1 = m(x – x1) Point-Slope Form Ideal for finding the
Slope is m. equation of a line if
Line passes through (x1, y1) the slope and a point
on the line or two
points on the line are
known.

2.5 - 25
Equation Description When to Use
Ax + By = C Standard Form The x- and y-
(If the coefficients and intercepts can be
constants are rational, then A, found quickly and
B, and C are expressed as used to graph the
relatively prime integers, with equation. The slope
A≥ 0). must be calculated.

2.5 - 26
Equation Description When to Use
y=b Horizontal Line If the graph intersects
Slope is 0. only the y-axis, then y
y-intercept is b. is the only variable in
the equation.
x=a Vertical Line If the graph intersects
Slope is undefined. only the x-axis, then x
x-intercept is a. is the only variable in
the equation.

2.5 - 27
 Example 7 FINDING AN EQUATION OF A LINE
THAT MODELS DATA
y
Year Cost 6000
(in dollars)
1996 3151 5000
1998 3486
4000
2000 3774
2002 4461 3000
2004 5148
x
2006 5836 0 2 4 6 8 10
Year
2.5 - 28
 Example 7 FINDING AN EQUATION OF A LINE
THAT MODELS DATA
y
a. Find an equation
that models the 6000
data.
5000
Solution The points
lie approximately on a 4000
straight line. Write an
equation that models
3000
the relationship
between year x and
cost y. Use two data x
0 2 4 6 8 10
points (0, 3151) and
(10, 5836). Year
2.5 - 29
 Example 7 FINDING AN EQUATION OF A LINE
THAT MODELS DATA
y
a. Find an equation
that models the 6000
data.
5000
Solution
5836  3151 4000
m
10  0
3000
2685
m  268.5 x
10 0 2 4 6 8 10
Year
2.5 - 30
 Example 7 FINDING AN EQUATION OF A LINE
THAT MODELS DATA
y
a. Find an equation
that models the 6000
data.
5000
Solution The slope
268.5 indicates that 4000
the cost of tuition and
fees increased by
about $269 per year. 3000
Use this slope and
the y-intercept 3151 x
0 2 4 6 8 10
to write the equation
of the line. Year
2.5 - 31
 Example 7 FINDING AN EQUATION OF A LINE
THAT MODELS DATA
y
a. Find an equation
that models the 6000
data.
5000
Solution
4000
y  mx  b
Slope- 3000
intercept form
x
y  268.5 x  3151 0 2 4 6 8 10
Year
2.5 - 32
 Example 7 FINDING AN EQUATION OF A LINE
THAT MODELS DATA
b. Use the equation y
developed to predict 6000
the cost of tuition and
fees at public 4-year 5000
colleges in 2008.
4000
Solution The value
x = 12 corresponds 3000
to the year 2008, so
we substitute 12 for x
x. 0 2 4 6 8 10
Year
2.5 - 33
 Example 7 FINDING AN EQUATION OF A LINE
THAT MODELS DATA
b. Use the equation y
developed to predict 6000
the cost of tuition and
fees at public 4-year 5000
colleges in 2008.
Solution 4000
y  268.5 x  3151
3000
Model from part (a).

y  268.5 12   3151 x

0 2 4 6 8 10
Let x = 12.
Year
y  6373
2.5 - 34
 Example 7 FINDING AN EQUATION OF A LINE
THAT MODELS DATA
b. Use the equation y
developed to predict 6000
the cost of tuition and
fees at public 4-year 5000
colleges in 2008.
4000
Solution According
to the model, average
3000
tuition and fees in
2008 would be about
$6373. x
0 2 4 6 8 10
Year
2.5 - 35