COORDINATE

GEOMETRY
Coordinate – A number that identifies a position
relative to an axis.
Geometry is the word formed by two Greek
words:
Geo means earth.
Metron means measurement.
Geo-metron means to measure the earth.
Coordinate geometry is a branch of mathematics
that deals with measurements, properties, and
relationships of points, lines, angles, surface and
solid.
CARTESIAN AND POLAR COORDINATES
The form( x, y ) of locating points is called the
Cartesian coordinate. For example (1, 2)
y

.(1, 2)
x y
The form (r ,  ) is called polar r . (r ,  )
coordinates.

 here must be in radians.
x
 y
sin θ  or y  r sin  ...(1)
r
x
cos θ  or x  r cos  ...(2)
r
Squaring (1) and (2) results
x y r .
2 2 2

Dividing (1) by (2) results

 y
  tan  
1
...(1)
x
Q1. Find the polar coordinates of the point
(i) (1, 2) (ii) (- 1, 2).

Q2. Write in Cartesian form the given coordinates  3, . 
 3
Solutions
Q1. (i)  5 , 0.35  (ii)  
5 , 0.65 Q2.
3 3
 ,
2 2

3

GRADIENT/SLOPE OF A STRAIGHT LINE
Consider the figure
Slope y  y y
 2 1  tan 
y x2  x1 x
(x , y )
If is the angle of inclination
2 2

of the line from x-axis then the

(x , y ) 
of

1 1

slope m of the line is given by

x
m  tan 
Consider these lines
l4
y Let m stand for
l2 slope.
m  0 for l1.
m  0 for l2 .
m  0 for l3 .
i.e. m  0 for a horizontal line.
m   (undefined) for l4 .
x i.e. slope is undefined for a vertical line.
0
l3
l1
The equation of the line has the form y  mx  c
where m = slope , c  y  intercept
 ANGLE BETWEEN TWO LINES
y
  1  180   2  180
or    2  1
 tan   tan ( 2  1 )

1
2
x
0
tan θ 2  tan 1
tan  
1  tan 1 tan  2
m2  m1

1  m1m2
where m2  tan  2  slope of l2 .
m1  tan 1  slope of l1.
  m2  m1 
  tan 1

1 m m 
 ... ( 2)
 1 2 

Q3. Find the angle between the lines y  x  4

y  2 x  3.
and
( Ans : 108.430 or 71.57 0 )

lPARALLEL LINESl1
y
1 l 2

l2 . is
parallel to
tan 1  tan  2  m
1 2 x Two parallel lines have
the same slope.
Q4. Find the equation of the straight line which
passes through the point (1, 4) and is parallel to
the line 3 x  y  6  0.

PERPENDICULAR LINES
Let l1 : y  m1  c and l2 : y  m2 x  c.
be perpendicular lines i.e. they
meet at 90 0.
l1 l2 m1-m2
So,  tan 900  
1  m1m2
 1  m1m2  0.
 m1m2  1.
N

If line l1with slope m1 and line l 2with slope m2

are perpendicular then
m1m2  1 ... (3)

Q5. Find the equation of the line drawn through

point of intersection of y  3 x  1  0 and y  4 x  2,
which is perpendicular to 2 y  4 x  1  0.
 SHORTEST DISTANCE
Perpendicular distance from a point to the line is
the shortest measured from the point to the line.
l1
d1 is the shortest
distance from l1 to
d2 the point P ( x, y ) .
d1
d3 P ( x, y )
Consider the figure

B ( x2 , y 2 ) Let B ( x2 , y2 ) be the point on

line L where the line segment
d from P meets line L.

P( x1 , y1 ) Q ( x2 , y1 )

0
L : ax  by  c  0.
We want to find d, the distance from the line L to
the point P( x1 , y1 ) .
d is given by
ax1  by1  c
d ... (4)
a b
2 2
Proof
Q. Find the perpendicular distance from the
point (2, 1) to the line x  3 y  1.

LINE SEGMENT DIVISION

Let the end points of a line segment be P1 ( x1 , y1 )
and P2 ( x2 , y2 ) .
P2 ( x2 , y2 )

P1 ( x1 , y1 )
(i) Suppose a point Q( x, y ) divides the line segment
P1 P2 in the ratio m1 : m2 .
P1Q m1
i.e. 
QP2 m2 P2 ( x2 , y2 )

Q ( x, y )
S ( x2 , y )

From the figure

R( x, y1 )
P1 ( x1 , y1 ) P1 RQ ~ QSP2 ( AA)
P1 R P1Q

QS QP2
 x  x1 m1 m1 x2  m2 x1
 x
x2  x m2 m1  m2

m1 y2  m2 y1
Similarly, y
m1  m2

Therefore, when Q( x, y) divides internally the line

segment with end points P1 ( x1 , y1 ) and P2 ( x2 , y2 )
in a ratio m1 : m2 then coordinates of point Q( x, y)
are given by
m1 x2  m2 x1 , y  m1 y2  m2 y1
x
m1  m2 m1  m2
... (5)
Q5. Find the coordinate of a point which divides
internally the line joining points (1, 3) and
(-2, 4) in the ratio 2:3.
Ans:  1 17 
 , 
5 5 
EXTERNAL DIVISION
Suppose a point Q(x, y) divides externally the
line segment P1 P2 in the ratio m1 : m2
Q ( x, y )
P2 ( x2 , y2 )
M ( x, y 2 )

P1 ( x1 , y1 ) R ( x2 , y1 )
 P1 RP2 ~ P2 MQ
e

P1 R P1 P2

P2 M P2Q
x2  x1 P1Q  P2Q

x  x2 P2Q
m1
P2Q  P2Q
m2

P2Q
m1  m2

m2
m2 ( x2  x1 )  (m1  m2 )( x  x2 )
 m1 x2  m2 x
 x
m1  m2
Similarly,
m1 y2  m2 y1
y
m1  m2

Q ( x, y ) P1 P2
If point divides externally the line segment with
P1 ( x1 , y1 ) P2 ( x2 , y2 ) m1 : m2
coordinates and in a ratio then
m x m x, m y m y
x 1 2 2
y 1 2 2 1
m1  m2 m1  m2
Q6. The point Q( x, y ) divides externally the line
segment AB in the ratio AP : BP . Find the point
P(x, y) if AP : BP is 1:3 and the point A and B
are (2, 4) and (6, 8) respectively.
Ans: (0, 2).
THE EQUATIONS TO THE BISECTORS OF THE ANGELS
BETWEEN TWO GIVEN LINES

P ( x, y )
D
 l2 : a2 x  b2 y  c2  0
d3 d4 C

B d1
R ( x, y )
d2 l3
l4
0 A  l1 : a1 x  b1 y  c1  0
From the figure points P( x, y ) and R( x, y ) are on
angle bisectors.
If a point is on the angle bisector; then the point
is equidistant from the sides of the angle.
Distance d1 = Distance d 2 .
Distance d 3 = Distance d 4 .
Thus, the equations to the bisectors of the angles
between two lines a1 x  b1 y  c1  0 and
l2 : a2 x  b2 y  c2  0 are given by

a1 x  b1  c1 a2  b2  c2

a b
2
1 1
2
a b
2
2
2
2
Q7. Find equations of the angle bisectors
between the lines 3 x  4 y  5  0 and
12 x  5 y  7  0 .

Q8. Find equation of obtuse angle bisector

between the lines x  y  6  0 and
7 x  y  4  0.

Q9. Find equations of acute angle bisector

between the lines 4 x  3 y  4  0 and
y  x  4.
Q10. If P ( x, y ) lies on the interval A( x1 , y1 ), B( x2 , y2 )
such that AP : PB  a : b, with a and b
positive, show that

bx1  ax2 by1  ay2

x and y 
ba ba
Q11.

Q12.
Q13.
Q14.

Q15.
Q16.
.
Q17.

Q18.

Q19.

Q20.

Ans:
 y CIRCLES
Definition
P ( x, y ) A circle is a
locus or path of
o r x a point which
 moves such that
(  a ,  b)
its distance
from a fixed
point is
constant.
The fixed point is called the centre and the
constant distance is the radius.
By distance formula
r  ( x  a )  ( y  b)
2 2 2

On expanding we get

x  y  2ax  2by  a  b  r  0
2 2 2 2 2

Let a 2  b 2  r 2  c.
The equation of the circle becomes

x  y  2ax  2by  c  0
2 2
Q21. Find the equation of the circle whose centre
is (– 2, 3) and has radius 4 units.

Q22. Find the centre and the radius of the circle

given by the equation

x  y  4y  0
2 2
 INTERSECTION OF CIRCLES
1. Internal touch
From the figure
r2 d  r r. 2 1
 
d r1 r2  radius of the larger circle.
r1  radius of the smaller circle.
d  distance beween radii of circles.
Two circle are said to touch internally if the
distance between their centres is equal to the
difference between their radii.
2. External touch

r1 From the figure

r2
 
d  r1  r2
d

Two circle are said to touch externally if the

distance between their centres is equal to the sum
of their radii.
Q23.

3. Orthogonal circles
From the figure
r1 r2 d r r
2
1
2
2
2

 
  f1 ,  g1  d   f2 ,  g2 
Two circles are said to
be orthogonal if their
radii are perpendicular to each other.
The figure shows
d    f1  f 2     g1  g 2   r1  r2
2 2 2 2 2

2 2 2
Expanding and inserting r1  f1  g1  c1
2 2 2
and r2  f 2  g 2  c2 the above equation
becomes
2 f1 f 2  2 g1 g 2  c1  c2
This is orthogonality condition of two circles.
Q24. Show that the circles x  y  2 x  4 y  1  0
2 2

and x 2
 y 2
 6 x  10 y  25  0 touch
externally.
Q25. Show that the circles x 2  y 2  6 x  4 y  2  0
and x  y  8 x  2 y  22  0 are orthogonal.
2 2

Q26. Do the circles with equations

( x  3)  ( y  2)  10
2 2 and ( x  6) 2
 ( y  1) 2
 40
touch?
Q27. Do the circles with equations
( x  4) 2  ( y  2) 2  9 and ( x  5) 2  ( y  2) 2  4
touch?
Q27. In the diagram below, the point C (1, 4) is the
point of contact of the two circles.
Given the radius of the larger circle is twice
the size of the radius of the smaller circle,
find the equation of the smaller circle.

B ( x, y )

C (1, 4)

A(5, 0)

( x  1) 2  ( y  6) 2  8.
Ans:
EQUATIONS OF TANGENT AND NORMAL TO A CIRCLE
A tangent to a circle is a line which touches that
circle at only one point.
A normal to a circle at a given point on a circle is
a line which is perpendicular to the tangent of a
circle at that point. Tangent line

A tangent is
perpendicular to the
radius that joins the
Normal line
centre of a circle to
the point of
tangency.
Q28. Find the equations of tangent and normal to
the circle x  y  5 x  y  4  0 at (1, 0) .
2 2

Q29.
Q30.
Q31.

Ans:
Common chord or common tangent

A chord of a circle is a straight line segment whose

endpoints both lie on the circle.
The infinite line extension of a chord is a secant
line, or just secant.
A chord that passes through a circle's center
point is the circle's diameter.
Q32.

Ans:
 CONIC SECTIONS
The curves circle, parabola, ellipse and hyperbola
are known as conic sections.
A conic section is a locus of a point which moves
such that its distance from a fixed point bears a
constant ratio to its distance from a fixed line.
The fixed point is called a focus.
The fixed line is called a directrix.
The constant ratio is called an eccentricity.
FP
 e.
If PM
P
 M e  1, the conic is a paraboala.
e  1, the conic is an ellipse.
e  1, the conic is a hyperbola.
F  Fixed point e  0, the conic is a circle.
Fixed line