The Line

Outline

I. The Angle of Inclination of a Line

II. The Slope of a Line
III. Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
IV. The Angle Between Two Lines
V. The General Equation of a Straight
Line
VI. Line Parallel to the Axes
VII. The Standard Forms of the Equation of
a Line
VIII.The Directed Distance from a Line to a
Point
The Angle of Inclination of a Line

𝑦
• The angle of inclination, or simply
inclination, of a line is the smallest
nonnegative angle, 𝛼, that the line
makes with the 𝑥-axis on the right
side of the line.
• It is measured in a
counterclockwise manner, where
0° ≤ 𝛼 ≤ 180°.
𝑙1

𝛼 𝑥
The Slope of a Line

𝑦
• The slope of a line, usually denoted
by 𝑚, is the tangent of its angle of
inclination, 𝛼.
𝒎 = 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝜶
• If 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 and 𝑃2 𝑥2 , 𝑦2 are two 𝑃2 𝑥2 , 𝑦2
points on the 𝑥𝑦-plane, then the
slope 𝑚 of the line passing
𝛼
through 𝑃1 and 𝑃2 is given by: 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 𝑋 𝑥2 , 𝑦1
𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑋𝑃2 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑙1
𝑚 = tan 𝛼 = = =
𝑎𝑑𝑗𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑃1 𝑋 𝑟𝑢𝑛
𝒚 𝟐 − 𝒚𝟏 𝒚𝟏 − 𝒚𝟐
𝒎= =
𝒙𝟐 − 𝒙𝟏 𝒙𝟏 − 𝒙𝟐 𝛼 𝑥
The Slope of a Line

𝑦
Slope of Lines Parallel to an Axis
Let 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 and 𝑃2 𝑥2 , 𝑦2 , and 𝑙2
𝑃3 𝑥3 , 𝑦3 and 𝑃4 𝑥4 , 𝑦4 are points on
lines 𝑙1 and 𝑙2 , respectively. 𝑃3 𝑥3 , 𝑦3 𝑃4 𝑥4 , 𝑦4

a) If 𝑥1 = 𝑥2 , then the line is vertical 𝑃2 𝑥2 , 𝑦2

and parallel to the 𝑦-axis. The
slope of the line is not defined.
b) If 𝑦3 = 𝑦4 , then the line is
horizontal and parallel to the 𝑥- 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1
axis. The slope of the line is zero.
𝑙1

𝑥
The Slope of a Line
𝑦
Positive and Negative Slopes 𝑙4
a) A line rising from left to right has 𝑙3
a positive slope.
b) A line falling left to right has a 𝑃7 𝑥7 , 𝑦7
negative slope. 𝑃6 𝑥6 , 𝑦6
𝑚4 < 0
𝑚3 > 0

𝑃5 𝑥5 , 𝑦5 𝑃8 𝑥8 , 𝑦8

𝑥
Parallel Lines
𝑦
• Let 𝑙1 and 𝑙2 be two non-vertical
lines with slopes 𝑚1 and 𝑚2 , 𝑙1 𝑙2
respectively. The lines 𝑙1 and 𝑙2 are
parallel, denoted as 𝒍𝟏 ∥ 𝒍𝟐 , if and
only if 𝑚1 = 𝑚2 .

𝑚1
𝑚2

𝛼1 𝛼2 𝑥
Perpendicular Lines
𝑦
• Let 𝑙1 and 𝑙2 be two intersecting 𝑙1
lines with slopes 𝑚1 and 𝑚2 ,
respectively. The lines 𝑙1 and 𝑙2 are
perpendicular to each other,
𝑚2
denoted as 𝒍𝟏 ⊥ 𝒍𝟐 , if and only if 𝑙2
1
𝑚1 = − , or 𝑚1 𝑚2 = −1.
𝑚2

𝑚1

𝑥
The Angle Between Two Lines
𝑦
• For any two intersecting lines, two 𝑙2 𝑙1
pairs of angles are formed.
• Two opposite angles have the
same magnitude.
• Two adjacent angles are 𝜃2
supplementary.

𝜃1

𝛼 𝛽
𝑥
The Angle Between Two Lines
𝑦
• Establishing: 𝑙2 𝑙1
𝛼 + 180° − 𝛽 + 𝜃1 = 180°
𝜃1 = 𝛽 − 𝛼
• Taking the tangent of both sides: 𝜃2
tan 𝜃1 = tan 𝛽 − 𝛼
tan 𝛽 − tan 𝛼
tan 𝜃1 =
1 + tan 𝛼 tan 𝛽
𝜃1
• Let 𝑚1 = tan 𝛼 and 𝑚2 = tan 𝛽, and
solving for 𝜽𝟏 :
𝑚2 − 𝑚1
tan 𝜃1 =
1 + 𝑚1 𝑚2 𝛽
𝛼 𝑥
𝒎𝟐 − 𝒎𝟏
𝜽𝟏 = 𝐭𝐚𝐧−𝟏
𝟏 + 𝒎𝟏 𝒎𝟐
The General Equation of a Straight Line

• The general form of the equation of a line is 𝑨𝒙 + 𝑩𝒚 + 𝑪 = 𝟎

• where 𝐴, 𝐵, and 𝐶 are real number constants such that 𝐴 and 𝐵 cannot
be both zero.
• Depending on the equation of a line the orientation of a line, be it parallel to
a coordinate axis or in a slant orientation, may be easily identified.
Lines Parallel to the Axes

𝑦
• Consider a line that passes through
the point 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 .
𝑙1 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1
a) If the line is parallel to the 𝑥-
axis, then its equation is 𝑦 = 𝑦1 .
b) If the line is parallel to the 𝑦-
axis, then its equation is 𝑥 = 𝑥1 .

𝑙2

𝑥
The Standard Forms of the Equation of a
Line

Two-Point Form
• Let 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 and 𝑃2 𝑥2 , 𝑦2 be two • Equating 𝑚1 and 𝑚2 :
distinct points on a nonvertical line, 𝑚1 = 𝑚2
the slope 𝑚 of the line is: 𝑦2 − 𝑦1 𝑦 − 𝑦1
𝑦2 − 𝑦1 =
𝑚1 = 𝑥2 − 𝑥1 𝑥 − 𝑥1
𝑥2 − 𝑥1
• Let 𝑃 𝑥, 𝑦 be a general point on the 𝒚 𝟐 − 𝒚𝟏
𝒚 − 𝒚𝟏 = 𝒙 − 𝒙𝟏
line, the slope of the line with 𝒙𝟐 − 𝒙𝟏
𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 as the second point is:
𝑦 − 𝑦1
𝑚2 =
𝑥 − 𝑥1
The Standard Forms of the Equation of a
Line

Slope-Point Form Slope-Intercept Form

• Since the slope of a non-vertical • The slope-intercept of the equation
𝑦 −𝑦
line is 𝑚 = 𝑥2−𝑥1, the two-point form of a line is a special case of the
2 1
of the equation of a line can be slope-point form.
transformed into the slope-point • The given point in the slope-
form. intercept form is the 𝑦-intercept,
𝑦2 − 𝑦1 denoted by 0, 𝑏 .
𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑥 − 𝑥1 𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑚 𝑥 − 𝑥1
𝑥2 − 𝑥1
𝒚 − 𝒚𝟏 = 𝒎 𝒙 − 𝒙𝟏 𝑦−𝑏 =𝑚 𝑥−0
𝑦 − 𝑏 = 𝑚𝑥
𝒚 = 𝒎𝒙 + 𝒃
The Standard Forms of the Equation of a
Line

Intercept Form
• A special case of the two-point form • Multiplying both sides by
1
:
where 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 is the 𝑦-intercept, 𝑏
denoted by 0, 𝑏 , and point 𝑃2 𝑥2 , 𝑦2 1 𝑏
𝑦−𝑏 =− 𝑥
is the 𝑥-intercept, denoted as 𝑎, 0 . 𝑏 𝑎
• Using the two-point form, the 𝑦 𝑥
intercept form is: −1=−
𝑦2 − 𝑦1 𝑏 𝑎
𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑥 − 𝑥1 𝒙 𝒚
𝑥2 − 𝑥1 + =𝟏
𝒂 𝒃
0−𝑏
𝑦−𝑏 = 𝑥−0
𝑎−0
𝑏
𝑦−𝑏 =− 𝑥
𝑎
Equations of Pairs of Parallel Lines and
Perpendicular Lines
• Two lines written in the general form are parallel if the coefficients of 𝑥 and
𝑦 are the same for both lines or a multiple of the other. For parallel lines:
𝑨𝒙 + 𝑩𝒚 + 𝑪𝟏 = 𝟎 and 𝑨𝒙 + 𝑩𝒚 + 𝑪𝟐 = 𝟎
• Two lines written in the general form are perpendicular if the coefficients of
𝑥 and 𝑦 are interchanged in the other line, with one of the signs changed.
For perpendicular lines:
𝑨𝒙 + 𝑩𝒚 + 𝑪𝟏 = 𝟎 and 𝐁𝒙 − 𝑨𝒚 + 𝑪𝟐 = 𝟎
The Directed Distance from a Line to a
Point
𝑦
• The directed distance from a line to 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶 = 0
a point is the perpendicular
distance, 𝑑, from the line 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝑃1 𝑥1 , 𝑦1
𝐶 = 0 to the point 𝑃 𝑥, 𝑦 . 𝑑

𝑨𝒙𝟏 + 𝑩𝒚𝟏 + 𝑪
𝒅=
± 𝑨𝟐 + 𝑩𝟐
• The sign of the denominator follows
the sign of 𝐵.
• The distance is positive when the
point is above the line and negative
if the point is below the line.
• The value of 𝑑 is zero when the 𝑥
point lies on the line.
Distance between Parallel Lines
𝑦 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶2 = 0
• The distance, 𝑑, from parallel lines 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶1 = 0
𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶1 = 0 and 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶2 = 0
may be obtained using the formula:
𝑑
𝑪𝟏 − 𝑪𝟐
𝒅=
𝑨𝟐 + 𝑩𝟐