QA Line Equations

DEFINITION OF A STRAIGHT LINE

A straight line is a curve such that every point on the line segment joining any two points on
it lies on it.
The general from of the equation of straight line
Ax + by + c = 0
where a, b and c are real constants and x and y are two unknowns.
Slope (Gradient) of a Line
{ ax + by + c = o by = ax c y =
y = mx + c,

where

and c is a constant}

Here m is called the slope of gradient of a line and c is the intercept on y-axis. The slope of a
line is always measured in anticlockwise.
Slope of a line in terms of coordinates of any two points on it.
If (x1m y1) and (x2, y2) are coordinates of any two points on a line, then its slope is

Intercepts of a line on the axis

If a straight line cuts x-asix at A and the y-asix at B then OA and OB are known as the
interepts of the line on x-axis and y-axis respectively where O is the origin.
EQUATIONS OF LINES PARALLEL TO THE COORDINATE AXES
a) Equation of a line parallel to x-axis and at a distance k from it is y = k.
b) Equation of a line parallel to the y-axis and at a distance h from it is x = h.
c) Equation of the x-axis is y = 0.
d) Equation of the y-axis is x = 0.
DIFFERENT STANDARD FORMS OF THE EQUATIONS OF A STRAIGHT LINE
1) Slope Intercept Form
(a) The equation of a line with slope m and making an intercept on y-axis is y = mx + c.
(b) The equation of a line with slope m and passing through the origin (here c = 0) is y = mx.

2) Point Slope Form

The equation of a line passes through the point (x 1, y1) and has the slope m is y y1 = m (x
x1)

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m
QA Line Equations
( x1, y1)

3) Two Point Form

The equation of a line passing through two points (x 1, y1)
and (x2, y2) is y y1 = (

(x2, y2)
x1 , y1

4) Intercept Form
The equation of a line which cuts off intercepts a and b respectively from the x-axis and yaxis is
b
a

5) Normal (or Perpendicular) Form

The equation of the straight line on which the length of the perpendicular from the origin (0,
0) is p and this perpendicular makes an angle with x-axis is x cos = p.
6) Distance (or Symmetrical) Form
The equation of the straight line passing through (x1, y1) and making an angle with positive
direction of x-axis is
Where r is the distance of the point (x, y) on the line from the point (x 1, y1)
Since different values of r determine different points on the line, therefore the
above form of the line is also called parametric form or symmetric form.
REDUCTION (OR TRANSFORMATION) OF THE GENERAL EQUATION
The general equation of a straight line is Ax + By + C = 0 which can be transformed into
various standard forms.
1) General Equation (Ax + By + C = 0) Slope
Intercept form (y = mx + c)
Ax + By + C = 0 By = Ax C

where
and intercept on y-axis =

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QA Line Equations

2) General Equation (Ax + By + C = 0)

Intercept form (

where, intercept on x = axis =

Intercept on y-axis =
3) General Equation (Ax + By + C = O) Normal Form (x cos + y sin = p)
Ax + By + C = O
(1)
x cos + y sin = p
(2)
Comparing (1) and (2)

and

or

The required equation is

POSITION OF A POINT WITH RESPECT TO A LINE

Any line ax + by + c = 0 (c 0) divides the whole plane into two parts (i) One part containing
the origin called the origin side, (ii) the other part not containing the origin called non-origin
side of the line.
The length of the perpendicular from the origin on the line ax + by + c = 0 is

; if c > 0

If c > 0 , we say that the origin is on the positive side of the line and if c < 0, the origin is said
to be on the negative side of the line.
A point P(x1, y1) is on the origin side or non-origin side of the line ax + by + c = 0 according as
a1x + b1y + c and c are the same opposite sign.
If c > 0, then P(x1, y1) is on the origin side or non-origin side of line ax + by + c = 0 according
as a1x + b1y + c is positive or negative.

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