4- Line and Definition of Slope VU

Lecture 4

Lines

In this section we shall discuss ways to measure the "steepness" or "slope" of a line in the plane. The ideas we
develop here will be important when we discuss equations and graphs of straight lines. We will assume that
you have sufficient understanding of trigonometry.

Slope

In surveying, slope of a hill is defined to be the ratio of its rise to its run. We shall now show how the
surveyor’s notion of slope can be adapted to measure the steepness of a line in the xy-plane.

Consider a particle moving left to right along a non vertical line segment from a point P1(x1,y1) to a point
P2(x2,y2). As shown in the figure below,

the particle moves y2-y1 units in the y-direction as it travels x2-x1 units in the positive x-direction. The
vertical change y2-y1 is called the rise, and the horizontal change x2-x1 the run. By analogy with the
surveyor's notion of slope we make the following definition.

Definition 1.4.1

If P1(x1,y1) and P2(x2,y2) are points on a non-vertical line, then the slope m of the line is defined by

rise y 2 − y1
=
m =
run x 2 − x1
So the slope is the ratio of the vertical distance and the horizontal distance between two points on a line. We
make several observations about Definition 1.4.1.

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Definition 1.4.1 does not apply to vertical lines. For such lines we would have

x 2 = x1

so (1) would involve a division by zero. The slope of a vertical line is UNDEFINED. Speaking informally,
some people say that a vertical line has infinite slope . When using formula in the definition to calculate the
slope of a line through two points, it does not matter which point is called P1 and which one is called P2,
since reversing the points reverses the sign of both the numerator and denominator of (1), and hence has no
effect on the ratio. Any two distinct points on a non-vertical line can be used to calculate the slope of the line
that is, the slope m computed from any other pair of distinct points P1 and P2 on the line will be the same as
the slope m’ computed from any other pair of distinct points P’1 and P’2 on the line. All this is shown in
figure below

y 2 − y1 y′2 − y1′
=m = = m′
x 2 − x1 x ′2 − x1′

Example

In each part find the slope of the line through

(a) the points (6,2) and (9,8) (b) the points (2,9) and (4,3)

(c) the points (-2,7) and (5,7)

Solution:

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8−2 6
a) m= = = 2
9−6 3
3 − 9 −6
b) m= = = −3
4−2 2
7−7 0
c) m= = = 0
5 − (−2) 7

Interpretation of slope

Since the slope m of a line is the rise divided by the run, it follows that

rise = m . run

so that as a point travels left to right along the line, there are m units of rise for each unit of run. But the
rise is the change in y value of the point and the run is the change in the x value, so that the slope m is
sometimes called the rate of change of y with respect to x along the line.

As illustrated in the last example, the slope of a line can be positive, negative or zero.

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A positive slope means that the line is inclined upward to the right, a negative slope means that it is inclined
downward to the right, and a zero slope means that the line is horizontal.

Angle of Inclination

If equal scales are used on the coordinate axis, then the slope of a line is related to the angle the line makes
with the positive x-axis.

Definition 1.4.2

For a line L not parallel to the x-axis, the angle of inclination is the smallest angle measured
counterclockwise from the direction of the positive x-axis to L (shown in figure below). For a line parallel to
the x-axis, we take ∅ = 0.

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4- Line and Definition of Slope VU

In degree measure the angle of inclination satisfies 00 ≤ φ ≤ 1800 and in radian measure it satisfies
0 ≤φ ≤π .

The following theorem, suggested

by the figure at right, relates the

Slope of a line to its angle of Inclination.

Theorem 1.4.3

For a nonvertical line, the slope m and angle of inclination ∅ are related by

=
m tan ∅ (2)

1
If the line L is parallel to the y-axis, then ∅= π
2
so tan ∅ is undefined. This agrees with the fact that the slope m is undefined for vertical lines.

Example

Find the angle of inclination for a line of slope m = 1 and also for a line of slope m = -1.

Solution : If m = 1, then from (2)

tan ∅ =1

1
∅= π
4

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If m = -1, then from (2)

tan ∅ = −1 , from this equality and the fact that 0 ≤ ∅ ≤ π we obtain

3π
∅= .
4

Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

Theorem 1.4.4

Let L1 and L2 be non-vertical lines with slopes m1 and m2, respectively

(a) The lines are parallel if and only if

m1 = m 2 ……. (3)

(b) The lines are perpendicular if and only if

m 1 m 2 = -1 …….. (4)

Basically, if two lines are parallel, then they have the same slope, and if they are perpendicular, then the
product of there slopes is -1.

Formula (4) can be rewritten in the form

1
m2 = -
m1

In words, this tells us that two non-vertical lines are perpendicular if and only if their slopes are NEGATIVE
RECIPROCALS OF ONE ANOTHER

Example

Use slopes to show that the points A(I, 3), B(3, 7), and C(7, 5) are vertices of a right triangle.

Solution:

Slope through A and B = m1 = (7-3)/(3-1) = 2

Slope through B and C = m2 = (5-7)/(7-3) = - 1/2

Since m1m2 = (2)(-1/2)=-1

The line through A and B is perpendicular to the line through B and C; thus, ABC is a right
triangle.

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Equations of Lines

Lines Parallel to the Coordinate axes

We now turn to the problem of finding equations of lines that satisfy specified conditions.

The simplest cases are lines PARALLEL TO THE COORDINATE AXES: A line parallel to the y-axis
intersects the x-axis at some point (a, 0).

This line consists precisely of those points whose x-coordinate is equal to a. Similarly, a line parallel to the x-
axis intersects the y-axis at some point (0, b ). This line consists precisely of those points whose y-coordinate
is equal to b.

Theorem 1.4.5

The vertical line through (a,0) and the horizontal line through (0,b) are represented, respectively, by the
equations

x=a and y=b

Example

The graph of x = -5 is the vertical line through (-5,0) and the graph of y = 7 is the horizontal line through
(0,7).

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LINES DETERMINED BY POINT AND SLOPE

There are infinitely many lines that pass through any given point in the plane. However, if we specify the

slope of the line in addition to a point on it, then the point and the slope together determine a unique line.

Let us see how we can find the equation of a non-vertical line L that passes through a point P1(x1,y1) and has
slope m. If P(x,y) is any point on L, different from P1, then the slope m can be obtained from the points
P(x,y) and P1(x1,y1); this gives

y - y1
m=
x - x1

which gives

y - y1 = m(x - x1 )

In summary, we have the following theorem.

Theorem 1.4.6

The line passing through P1(x1,y1) and having slope m is given by the equation

y - y1 = m(x - x1 )

This is called the point-slope form of line.

Example

Write an equation for the line through the point (2,3) with slope

-3/2.

Solution:

We substitute x1=2, y1=3 and m=-3/2 into the point-slope equation and obtain

y-3 = -3/2 (x-2) on simplification y = -3/2 x + 6

Example

Write an equation for the line through the point (-2,-1) and (3,4).

Solution: The line’s slope is

m = (-1-4) / (-2-3) = -5 / -5 = 1

We can use this slope with either of the two given points in the point-slope equation

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With (x1,y1) = (-2,-1) With (x1,y1) = (3,4)

y = -1 + 1(x-(-2)) y = 4 + 1(x-3)

y = -1+x+2 y = 4 + x -3

y = x+1 y = x+1

Lines Determined by Slope and y-Intercept

A nonvertical line crosses the y-axis at some point (0,b). If we use this point in the point slope form of its
equation, we obtain

y-b = m(x-0)

Which we can rewrite as y = mx+b

Theorem 1.4.7

The line with y-intercept b and slope m is given by the equation

y = mx+b

This is called the slope-intercept form of the line.

Example

The line y =2x-5 has slope 2 and y-intercept -5.

Example

Find the slope-intercept form of the equation of line with slope -9 and that crosses the y-axis at (0,-4)

Solution : We are given with m=-9 and b=-4, so slope-intercept form of line is

y = -9x-4

Example

Find slope-intercept form of the equation of line that passes through (3,4) and (-2,-1).

Solution :

The line’s slope is

m = (-1-4) / (-2-3) = -5 / -5 = 1

We can use this slope with either of the two given points in the point-slope equation

With (x1,y1) = (-2,-1)

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y - (-1) = 1 ( x- (-2))

y + 1 = x+2

y = x+1

Which is required slope-intercept form.

The General Equation of a Line

An equation that is expressible in the form

Ax + By + C =0

Where A, B and C are constants and A and B are not both zero, is called a first-degree equation in x and y.
For example

4x + 6y -5 = 0

is a first-degree equation in x and y.

Theorem 1.4.8

Every first degree equation in x and y has a straight line as its graph and, conversely, every straight line can be
represented by a first-degree equation in x and y.

Example

Find the slope and y-intercept of the line 8x + 5y = 20

Solution :

Solve the equation for y to put it in the slope-intercept form, then read the slope and y-intercept from
equation

5y = -8x + 20

y = - 8/5 x + 4

The slope is m = - 8/5 and the y-intercept is b = 4

Applications

The Importance of Lines and Slopes

Light travel along with lines, as do bodies falling from rest in a planet’s gravitational field or coasting under
their own momentum (like hockey puck gliding across the ice). We often use the equations of lines (called
Linear equations) to study such motions

Many important quantities are related by linear equations. One we know that a relationship between two
variables is linear, we can find it from the any two pairs of corresponding values just as we find the equation
of a line from the coordinates of two points.

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Slope is important because it gives us way to say how steep something is (roadbeds, roofs, stairs). The notion
of slope also enables us to describe how rapidly things are changing. For this reason it will play an important
role in calculus.

Example

Fahrenheit temperature (F) and Celsius temperature ( F) are related by a linear equation of the form

F = mC + b

The freezing point of water is F = 32 or C = 0 ,

while the boiling point is

F = 212 or C = 100 .

Thus

32 = 0m + b and 212 = 100m + b

Solving these two equation we get

b = 32 and m = 9/5 , therefore

F = 9/5 C + 32

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