CHPT3: COODINATE GEOMETRY

A’S LEVEL
Contents

Lesson 1: Lines and their equations

Lesson 2: Gradients and midpoints.
Lesson 3: Equations given gradients/points.
Lesson 4: Distance between points and intersections.
Lesson 5: Parallel and perpendicular lines.
Lesson 6: Consolidation.
GCSE specification:
 Understand that an equation of the form y = mx + c corresponds to a straight line graph
 Plot straight line graphs from their equations
 Find the gradient of a straight line graph, using its equation or using two points.
 Understand how the gradient of a real life graph relates to the relationship between the two
variables
 Understand how the gradients of parallel lines are related.
 Understand how the gradients of perpendicular lines are related (NEW TO YOU).
 Generate equations of a line parallel or perpendicular to a straight line graph.
 Part 1
Lines and their Equations
STARTER:
 y

What is the equation of 4

this line?
And more importantly, 3

why is it that?
2

x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1

-2

-3

𝑥=2
?
-4
For any point we pick on the
line, the value is always 2.
Lines and Equations of Lines
 A line consists of all points which satisfy some equation in terms
of and/or .

Yes, you can

Sorry, you
join as:
can’t join as
so you
Get can
lost.join.

Anirudh’s Line Club

Membership Rules:
Examples
This means we can substitute the values of a coordinate into our equation
whenever we know the point lies on the line.

The point lies on the line with equation . Determine the value of .

Substituting in and value:

?

Find the coordinate of the point where the line cuts the -axis.

On the -axis, . Substituting:

?
Another intercept example
Determine where the line crosses the:

a) -axis: Let .
?
b) -axis: Let

What mistakes do you think it’s easy to make?

• Mixing up x/y: Putting answer as rather than .
• Setting to find the -intercept, or to?find the -intercept.
 y

Draw 4

x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1

-2
It also gives us a way to plot lines quickly: We
can just pick any two values of or-3, and see
what would have to be to ‘join the club’.
When : ? -4

When : ?
Test Your Understanding
1 A point lies on the line with equation . The -value of the point is 6. What would
the value have to be?

𝑦 =5 ( 6 )?− 2=28

2 The point lies on the line with equation . Determine the value of .

8=20 ?− 4 𝑘
3 Draw coordinate axis in your book with going from 0 to 6 and going from 0 to 6.
Draw the line with equation .

4 A line has equation . Determine the coordinate of the point it intercepts the -axis.

3 𝑥+ 4=0 ?
 y
(Q3 on previous slide)
4

𝑥+ 𝑦 =4 3

x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1

-2

-3

-4
 y
Exercise 1 – Question 1 8
Questions on
𝑥+ 𝑦 =2 worksheet
6

provided.
4

x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-2

-4

-6

-8
 y
Exercise 1 – Question 2 8

1
𝑦 =− 𝑥+1
2 6

x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-2

-4

-6

-8
Exercise 1 – Question 3

When the point lies on each of these

lines, find the value of .

a ?
b ?
c ?
d ?
e ?
Exercise 1 – Question 4
Copy and complete this table.
The point where the line crosses the:
Equation -axis -axis

? ?

? ?

? ?

? ?
Exercise 1 – Question 5
𝑦 =4 𝑥 −2
Exercise 1 – Question 6

When the point lies on each of these lines, find

the value of .

?
?
?

?
Exercise 1 – Question 7

?6 ?
1.5 ?0

Click to Reveal
Exercise 1 – Question 8
Complete the table of values for .

       
? ? ? ?

If just sub it into the

equation:
Exercise 1 – Question 9
Put a tick or cross to determine whether each of the following
points are on the line with the given equation.

 
 
?  
?
 
?  
?
  
? ? 
  
? ? 
Exercise 1 – Question 10

For the given equation of a line and point, indicate whether the point is above
the line, on the line or below the line. (Hint: Find out what is on the line for the
given )

    Below the line On the line Above the line

   ? 
   
?  
     
?
     
?
Exercise 1 – Question N1
The equation of a line is . If the value of some point on the line is ,
what is the full coordinate of the point, in terms of ?

If , then . Rearranging, .
So coordinate is
?
Exercise 1 – Question N2

What is the area of the region enclosed between the line with
equation , the axis, and the axis?

We can set to find where the lines cuts the axis:

Similarly when :

We have a triangle between the points .

Area is .
?
 Part 2
Gradients and midpoints
Recap of gradient
The steepness of a line is known as the gradient.
It tells us what changes by as increases by 1.

The equation of a straight

line is of the form:
Gradient
?
1
The gradient is .
is the ‘y-intercept’.
 y
Quickfire Gradient – 4

What is the gradient of D A

each line? 3

F
C
2

B
1

G E
x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1

H
-2

A: 1? B: -1? C: 1? -3
D: 2? E: ? F: 3 ?
G: H: -4
? ?
Gradient using the Equation
We can get the gradient of a line using just its equation.
Rearrange into the form (i.e. make the subject; the gradient is .

Examples Test Your Understanding

1
?
? 2

?
3

? ?

4 ?
 y
Suppose we just had two 4 ( 𝟑 , 𝟒)
points on the line and
3
wanted to determine the
gradient, but didn’t want 2 has increased
to draw a grid. by 6.
1

x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1

( −𝟏, −𝟐 ) -2

has increased by 4.
-3

So what -4does change by for 𝟔

𝒎= =𝟏
? .𝟓
each unit increase in ? 𝟒
Gradient using two points

! Given two points on a line, the gradient is:

( 1 , 4 ) (3 , 10) 𝑚= ?3
( 5 , 7 ) (8 , 1 ) 𝑚= −2
?

( 2 , 2 ) (− 1 , 10) 8
𝑚= −?
3
Quickfire Gradients

?
?
?

?
?

?
Midpoint of a line segment

𝐵 𝐵
𝑀 𝐶

𝐴 𝐴
A point is on the line segment such
If and , find the midpoint of . that and . Find the coordinate of .

Just find mean of values and mean Need to go of the way along the
of values. line.

?
?
Test Your Understanding
1 If and , find the midpoint of .

?
2 is a point on the line segment to such that . Determine the
coordinates of .

?
Exercise 2 (On provided sheet)

2 Determine the gradient of the line which goes

1 By rearranging the equations into the
form , determine the gradient of each through the following points.
line. Point 1 Point 2 Gradient
Equation Gradient   ?
?  
 
  ?
?    
?
?    
?
?    
?
?    
?
?    
? ?
? ?
? ?
?
? ?
Exercise 2
3 Determine the midpoint of and . 7 A triangle has the coordinates . A new
? triangle is formed by joining the midpoints
? of each of the sides. Determine the
? gradients between each of the three
vertices of the new triangle.
? Midpoints:
Gradients:
4 If , where and are constants, determine the
gradient of the line in terms of and .
?

?
If is the midpoint of , and , what is the
coordinate of ?
5

?
If and is a point on the line . Find the
coordinates of when:
6
  ?
?
Summary
The gradient of a line is the steepness: how much changes as
increases by 1.
We’ve seen 3 ways in which we can calculate the gradient:

a. Counting Squares b. Using the equation c. Using two points

(but only works if scales on and axis
are the same)

2 𝑦 =4 −5 𝑥 ( 1 , 4 ) , ( 4 , 13 )

𝟓
𝒎=− 𝟑
? 𝒎=− ?
𝟐 𝒎=𝟑?
 Part 3
Equations given
gradients/points
RECAP: Equation of a line
From earlier:

The equation of a straight line is

gradient y-intercept
 y
Examples E 4 B A

2
F
1

A: ?
B: ?
xC: -5 ? -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
D:
E: ? -1 C
F: ?
? -2

-3

Determine the full equation

D -4
of each line.
 y
Your Turn 4

D A
3

F
C
2

B
1

G E
x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1
H
-2

-3

-4
Getting equation of line using gradient and point
A line with gradient 3 goes through the point . Determine the
equation of the line in the form
.

= 3
𝑚

( 2,5 )

‘GCSE’ method
Using gradient, write
? the formula so far.
-intercept is not yet
known.
? Point is on the line,
so it must satisfy the
? equation. Use to find
.
A few more examples
A line has gradient and has gradient 2. What is the equation of the line in the
form ?

𝑦=2𝑥+𝑐
Bro Mental Tip: If you know the formula starts with ,
find what this is for your value, then think what you
? have to ‘adjust’ by to get this to . In this case, is 8, so
we can see we have to +1 to get to 9.

Quickfire Questions:
(using the mental trick)

Gradient of 2. Goes through  ?

Gradient of 4. Goes through  ?
Gradient of 1. Goes through  ?
Gradient of -3. Goes through  ?
Gradient of . Goes through 
?
A few more examples
A line passes through and . What is the equation of the line in the form , where
are integers?

We want a form where there are no fractions and 0 is on one side:

?
Test Your Understanding
The gradient of a line is , and passes through . What is the equation of the line,
in the form .

1
𝑦 = ?𝑥+ 𝑐
3
A line passes through and . Determine the equation of the line in the form ,
where are integers, and hence determine the coordinate of the point where the
line crosses the -axis.

1
When :

𝑚=− ?

3
Another way (IGCSEFM/C1)

( 𝑥1 , 𝑦 1 )
(𝑥, 𝑦)
For the previous questions, we’ve fixed a particular point on the line (let’s call
this . But we’d still get an equation in terms of and , representing all the points
that lie on the line.*

Can we use our approach before to find a more general equation for the line?

?
* Bro Note: For this reason, we say that and
! The equation of a straight line with are constants, because they are fixed, but
gradient and goes through is and are variables because they can vary for
a particular straight line as we consider
different points on the line.
Quickfire Questions
In a nutshell: You can use this formula whenever you have (a) a gradient
and (b) any point on the line.

Gradient Point (Unsimplified) Equation

?
?
?
?
?

Bro Side Note: I’ve found that many students shun this formula and just use the GCSE
method. But you’ll find later on in school it’s common to have algebraic gradients or
points, where this new method would be much easier. It’s worth getting used to.
Test Your Understanding
A line passes through and . Determine the equation of the line in the form ,
where are integers.

Using the point :

?
Exercise 3 (On provided sheet)

1 Find the equation of the line with the 3 Find the equation of the line that goes
specified gradient which goes through the
through the following points, leaving
specified point, leaving your answer in the
form . your equation in the form .
a ?
b ? a ?
c ? b ?
d ? c ?
e ? d ?
Do the same, but leave your ?
f
equations in
the form where are integers. (I advise
2 using the formula) 4 𝑦 Determine the
equation of this
line.
a ? 4 ?
b ?
c ?
𝑥
d ? 9
e ?
Exercise 3 (On provided sheet)

5 A line passes through the points and .

a) Find the equation of the line in the form , where
are integers.
b) Hence determine the coordinate of the point
?
where the line crosses the -axis.
?

6 The line passes through the points and and

intercepts the -axis at the point . The line passes
through and . Determine the equation of the line in
the form .

?
A line passes through for some constant . Determine
7 the gradient of the line.

?
 Part 4
Distances between points
and points of intersection
Distances between points
(Greek letter ‘delta’) means “change in”
How could we find the
(5,9) distance between these two
points?
?
5 ?
Hint: Pythagoras

Δ 𝑦=3? Form a right-angled triangle

using the change in and
? use
change in , then
Pythagoras.
(1,6) Δ 𝑥=4?

! Distance between two points:

Examples
Distance between:

and ?
and
and
? Bro Note: Note that unlike with
? gradient, we don’t care if the
difference is positive or negative
(it’s being squared to make it
positive anyway!)

Quickfire Questions:

Distance between:

and ?
and
and
?
?
Test Your Understanding So Far…
AQA IGCSEFM June 2012 Paper 2 Q3

𝑃𝑄=√ 𝟖𝟐+𝟒 𝟐=𝟖

? . 𝟗𝟒
Intersection of lines
The diagram shows two lines with
𝑦 equations and , which intersect at
the point . The line passes through
𝑦 =3 𝑥 the origin.

a) Determine the coordinates of .

𝑃
Just solve two equations
simultaneously.
𝑥+2 𝑦 = 4
?
𝑥
𝑂 𝑄 b) The line intersects the -axis at the
point . Determine the area of the
triangle .
When
Area

?
Further Example
𝑦
Determine the length of .
2 𝑦 =𝑥 + 4

When

𝑃
Distance :
𝑄
𝑥+ 𝑦 =8 ?

𝑥
𝑂
Test Your Understanding
𝑦
a) Determine the coordinate of .
𝑄 2 𝑦 + 𝑥=12 𝑦 =𝑥 −3
?
b) Determine the area of .
𝑃
c) Determine the length .
?

𝑂 𝑥
?
𝑅
 Exercise 4 (On provided sheet)

1 Find the coordinate of the point of 3 Find the distance between the two points where
intersection between these lines: crosses the coordinate axes.
a ? ?
b ?
c ? 4 Line passes through and . Another line passes
d ? through and . Determine the coordinate of the
e ? point at which they intersect.

2 Find the distance: (giving exact values)

𝑦 ?
Line has the equation and has the equation .
The two lines intersect at point and line
𝐵(6,5) 5 intersects the and -axis at and respectively, as
𝐸(−3,3) 𝐴(2,4) indicated. Find the area of:
a) (where is the origin)
𝐶(5,0)
𝑥 b)

?
𝐷(0,−12) ?
a ? b ?
c ? d ?
e ?
Exercise 4 (On provided sheet)

6 [AQA IGCSEFM Jan 2013 Paper 1 Q16]

and are points on the line
.
is a straight line.

Work out the ratio:

Give your answer in its simplest form.

Again using ratios provided:

Area of
Area of ?
Ratio:
 Part 5
Perpendicular and parallel
lines
 y

1 3
𝑚= ?
2 𝑚=3?
2

x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1 𝑚=3?
1
𝑚= ?
2 -2

Find the gradients of

-3 each pair of parallel
lines. What do you
-4 notice?
 y

?
m = 1/2 3 ?
m = -1/3

m=3?
x -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1

m = -2?
-2

Find the gradients of

-3 each pair of
perpendicular lines.
-4 What do you notice?
Perpendicular Lines
The gradients of parallel lines are equal.
! If two lines are perpendicular, then the gradient of one is the negative
reciprocal of the other.

To show that two lines are perpendicular:

Gradient Gradient of Perpendicular Line

?
-4 ?
?
?
?
?
Example Problems
1 A line is goes through the point (9,10) and is perpendicular to another line with
equation . What is the equation of the line?

?
A line goes through the points and . A second line is perpendicular to and
2 passes through point B. Where does cross the x-axis?

?
Are the following lines parallel, perpendicular, or neither?
3

Neither. Gradients are and . But , not -1, so not perpendicular.

?
Putting in the form or
Sometimes a question might ask you to put your equation in a particular form.

…Leave your answer in the form , where are integers.

1 We want whole numbers not fractions,

𝑦 = ? 𝑥 −2 so what should we do to both sides of

2? the equation?
I tend to put everything on the side
that makes positive, but it doesn’t
hugely matter.

…Leave your answer in the form , where are integers.

2
𝑦 = 𝑥+ 4
3?
Test Your Understanding
1 A line is goes through the 2 Determine the point .
point (4,7) and is 𝑦
perpendicular to another line
with equation . What is the
equation of the line? Put your
answer in the form , where 𝐴
are integers. 𝑦=
− 1
2 𝑥+
4

?
𝑥
Equation of other line:

?
 Exercise 5 (On provided sheet)

1 Are the following lines parallel, perpendicular 4

or neither? Find the equation of the line which
Parallel ? passes through B, and is perpendicular to
Neither
Perpendicular
? the line passing through both A and B.

? ?
A line is parallel to and goes through the Line has the equation . Line goes
2 point . What is its equation? through the points and . Are the lines
5
parallel, perpendicular, or neither?
?
A line goes through the indicated point and is so perpendicular.
3 perpendicular to another line . Determine the
equation of in each case. ?
?
6
?
𝑙

+5
?

3𝑥
𝑦=
?
𝑥
? Determine the equation of the line .
?
Exercise 5 (On provided sheet)

𝑦 9 [AQA IGCSEFM June 2012 Paper 1 Q11]

7
is a kite.
𝑦=
−2
𝑥+
4
𝑙
𝑥
Determine the equation of the line .
Known point on :

So equation of : ?

a) Work out the equation of .

8
Find the equation of the line passing
through and is perpendicular to the ? of .
b) Work out the coordinates
line passing through and , giving Intersection of and
your answer in the form , where are
integers.

?
?
Exercise 5 (On provided sheet)

N Suppose is the origin, and .

Prove that is a kite.
(Hint: you need to prove two things as part of this.)

a) Prove that is perpendicular to :

perpendicular.

b) Prove that where is the point of intersection of the two ‘diagonals’

and , i.e. the quadrilateral has a line of symmetry.

Equation of :
Equation of
?
and thus the kite has a line of symmetry.
Exercise 6 – Mixed Exercises (On provided sheet)

1 Line passes through the points and . 4 a) Find the gradient of the line with
Line has the equation . Do the lines equation .
intersect?
but . Since , the lines are not parallel ?
and thus must intersect. b) Prove that and
? are perpendicular.
is the point and is the point .
a) Find the coordinates of the midpoint
2 of . ?
A line passes through the points and .
Find the equation of the line in the form:
b) Find the distance to 2 dp. 5 a)
b) where are integers.
?
Line has the equation and line the ?
?
equation . Find the coordinates of the Find the coordinates of the points where
point at which they intersect. crosses:
3 c) The -axis.
d) The -axis. ?
6

? ?
?
Exercise 6 – Mixed Exercises (On provided sheet)

7 [Edexcel] 8 𝑦

𝑥
4

Determine the equation of this line,

putting your answer in the form ,
is a square. and are points on the -axis. is where are integers.
a point on the -axis. is a straight line. The
equation of the line that passes through
the points and is . Find the length of ?
Point : . Point :
Equation of :
Therefore

?
Exercise 6 – Mixed Exercises (On provided sheet)

9 A triangle consists of the points , and . is a right angle.

Determine the equation of the line passing through
and , leaving your answer in the form , where are
integers.

Gradient of line passing through :

Equation of :

Therefore:

Equation of :
?