What is a Line?

• A line is the set of points forming a straight

path on a plane
• The slant (slope) between any two points on
a line is always equal
• A line on the Cartesian plane can be
described by a linear equation
 Definition - Linear Equation
• Any equation that can be put into the form
Ax + By − C = 0, where A, B, and C are
Integers and A and B are not both 0, is called
a linear equation in two variables.
• The graph will be a straight line.
• The form Ax + By − C = 0 is called standard
form (Integer coefficients all on one side = 0)
 Definition - Linear Equation
• The equation of a line describes all of the
points on the line
• The equation is the rule for any ordered pair
on the line
Examples:
1. 3x + 2y – 8 = 0 2. x – 7y + 2 = 0
(4, -2) is on the line (4, -2) is not on the line
(5, 1) is not on the line (5, 1) is on the line
Test the point by plugging the x and y into the equation
Slope

Slope describes the

direction of a line.
 Why is
this
needed
? Slope
If x1  x2, the slope of the line
through the distinct points P1(x1, y1)
and P2(x2, y2) is:
Guard against 0 in
the denominator

rise change in y y2 − y1
slope = = =
run change in x x2 − x1
 Find the slope between (-3, 6) and (5, 2)
y-axis

(-3, 6)

(5, 2)
x-axis

Rise -4 -1
= =
Run 8 2
Calculate the slope between (-3, 6) and (5, 2)
x1 y1 x2 y2
y2 − y1
m= We use the letter m
x2 − x1 to represent slope

(2) − (6) - 4 - 1
m= = =
(5) − (-3) 8 2
 y2 − y1
m= Find the Slopes
x2 − x1
Yellow
2−9 -7 (3, 9)
m1 = =
11 − 3 8
Blue
2 − (-2) 2
m2 = =
11 − 5
(11, 2)
3
Red
- 2 − 9 - 11
m3 = = (5, -2)
5−3 2
Find the slope between (5, 4) and (5, 2).
x1 y1 x2 y2

y2 − y1
m=
x2 − x1
(2) − (4) - 2
m= =
(5) − (5) 0 STOP
This slope is undefined.
Find the slope between (5, 4) and (5, 2).
y

Rise -2
= = Undefined
Run 0
Find the slope between (5, 4) and (-3, 4).
x1 y1 x2 y2
y2 − y1
m=
x2 − x1
(4) − (4) 0
m= = =0
(-3) − (5) -8

This slope is zero.

Find the slope between (5, 4) and (-3, 4).
y

Rise 0
= = Zero
Run -8
From these results we
can see...
•The slope of a vertical
line is undefined.
•The slope of a
horizontal line is 0.
 Find the slope of the line
4x - y = 8
First, find two points on the line

Let x = 0 to
find the
4( 0) − y = 8 Let y = 0 to 4 x − (0) = 8
find the
y-intercept.
- y =8 x-intercept. 4x = 8
(0, -8) y = -8 (2, 0) x=2
x1 y1 x2 y2

(0) − (-8) 8
m= = =4
(2) − (0) 2
 Find the slope of the line
4x − y = 8 Here is an easier way
Solve 4x − y = 8
for y.
- y = -4 x + 8
y = 4x − 8
When the equation is solved for y the
coefficient of the x is the slope.
We call this the slope-intercept form
y = mx + b
m is the slope and b is the y-intercept
 -3
Graph the line that goes through (1, -3) with m =
(1,-3)
4
y

x
 Sign of the Slope
Which have a
negative slope? Which have a
positive slope?
Undefined Red
Light Blue Green
White Blue

Zero
Slope
 Slope of Parallel Lines

• Two lines with the

same slope are parallel.
• Two parallel lines have
the same slope.
Are the two lines parallel?
L1: through (-2, 1) and (4, 5) and
L2: through (3, 0) and (0, -2)

(5) − (1) 4 2
m1 = = =
(4) − (-2) 6 3

(0) − (-2) 2 m1 = m2
m2 = =
(3) − (0) 3  L1 L2
This symbol means Parallel
 -3
Perpendicular Slopes m1 = 4
4 m2 =
3
y

x
What can we say
about the intersection
of the two white lines?
 Slopes of Perpendicular Lines
• If neither line is vertical then the slopes of
perpendicular lines are negative reciprocals.
• Lines with slopes that are negative
reciprocals are perpendicular.
• If the product of the slopes of two lines is -1
then the lines are perpendicular.
• Horizontal lines are perpendicular to
vertical lines.
Write parallel, perpendicular or neither for the
pair of lines that passes through (5, -9) and (3, 7)
and the line through (0, 2) and (8, 3).
(7) − (-9) 16
m1 = = = -8
(3) − (5) -2
(3) − (2) 1  -8   1  = -8
m2 = =     = -1
(8) − (0) 8 1 8 8

m1  m2 = -1
This symbol means Perpendicular
 L1 ⊥ L2
The Equation of a Line
 Objectives
• Write the equation of a line, given its
slope and a point on the line.
• Write the equation of a line, given two
points on the line.
• Write the equation of a line given its
slope and y-intercept.
 Objectives
• Find the slope and the y-intercept of a
line, given its equation.
• Write the equation of a line parallel or
perpendicular to a given line through a
given point.
 Slope-intercept Form
y = mx + b
m is the slope and b is the y-intercept

Objective
Write the equation of a line, given its slope
and a point on the line.
 Write the equation of the line
with slope m = 5 and y-int -3
Take the slope intercept form y = mx + b
Replace in the m and the b y = mx
5x ++-3
b
Simplify y = 5x – 3

That’s all there is to it… for this easy question

 Find the equation of the line
through (-2, 7) with slope m = 3
x y m
Take the slope intercept form y = mx + b
Replace in the y, m and x 7y = mx
3x ++b+b b
3(-2)
Solve for b 7 = -6 + b
7+6=b
13 = b
Replace m and b back into
slope intercept form y = 3x + 13
 Write an equation of the line
through (-1, 2) and (5, 7).
y2 − y1 7−2 5
First calculate the slope. m= = =
x2 − x1 5 − (-1) 6

Now plug into y, m and x into

y2 = 56mx
(-1)++bb
slope-intercept form.
(use either x, y point) 2 = -65 + b

Solve for b
2 + 56 = b Only replace
the m and b
17 = b
6
Replace back into slope-intercept form y = 56 x + 17
6
 Horizontal and
Vertical Lines
• If a is a constant,
the vertical line
though (a, b) has (a, b)
equation x = a.
• If b is a constant,
the horizontal line
though ( a, b,) has
equation y = b.
Write the equation of the line
through (8, -2); m = 0
Slope = 0 means the line is horizontal

y = -2
That’s all there is!
Find the slope and
y-intercept of
2x − 5 y = 1
2x – 5y = 1 2x −1 = 5 y
5 5 5
Solve for y and 2 1
then we will be x− = y
able to read it from 5 5
the answer. 2 1
y= x−
5 5
2 -1
Slope: m= y-int:
5 5
Write an equation for the line
through (5, 7) parallel to 2x – 5y = 15.
2 x − 5 y = 15
2 x − 15 = 5 y
2 x 15 5 y
− =
5 5 5
2 2
x − 3 = y m =
5 5
Write an equation for the line
through (5, 7) parallel to 2x – 5y = 15.
We know the slope and
we know a point. 7y = mx
2 (5+) b
5 + b
2 7=2+b
m=
5 7–2=b
(5, 7) 5=b

y= 2 x+5
5
Write an equation for the line
through (5, 7) parallel to 2x – 5y = 15.

2
y = x+5
5

2 x − 5 y = 15
2
y = x −3
5
 The slope of the perpendicular.
• The slope of the perpendicular line is the
negative reciprocal of m
• Flip it over and change the sign.
Examples of slopes of perpendicular lines:
2 1 -7
-2 2.4 2
3 5
2 1 = -5 -2 = 1 12 -7 = 2
3 5 1 2 5 2 7
Note: The product of perpendicular slopes is -1
 What about the special cases?
• What is the slope of The slope of a line
the line perpendicular ⊥ to a horizontal
to a horizontal line? line is undefined.

Well, the slope of a

0 = 0
horizontal line is 0…
1
So what’s the negative 0
reciprocal of 0?
1
Anything over
zero is undefined
 Write an equation in for the line through (-8, 3)
perpendicular to 2x – 3y = 10.

Isolate y to find the slope: 2x – 3y

2x = 10 + 3y
2x – 10 = 3y slope = 2
3 3 3 3
We know the perpendicular
slope and we know a point.
y3 = mx
-3 (-+8b
2
) + b
3 = 12 + b
-3 3 – 12 = b
m2 =
2 -9 = b
(-8, 3) answer : y = -3 x − 9
2
Write an equation in standard form for the line
through (-8, 3) perpendicular to
2x - 3y = 10.

2 10
y = x−
3 3
-3
y = x −9
2
 Summary
• Slope-intercept form

y = mx + b
• y is isolated
• Slope is m.
• y-intercept is (0, b)
 Summary
• Vertical line
– Slope is undefined
– x-intercept is (a, 0) x=a
– no y-intercept

y =b
• Horizontal line
– Slope is 0.
– y-intercept is (0, b)
– no x-intercept