CHAPTER 1

CARTESIAN COORDINATE

Prepared by: Dr Nur Syamimi Mohd Razali

 CARTESIAN COORDINATE SYSTEM
• The Cartesian coordinate system (or
rectangular coordinate system) is a y-axis
system that specifies each point
uniquely in a plane by a pair
of numerical coordinates, which are
the signed distances to the point from
two fixed perpendicular directed lines,
measured in the same unit of length . Origin
x-axis

• Cartesian coordinate system consists

of a horizontal number line, represents
as x-axis and a vertical number,
represent as y-axis (refer to Figure 1)

• While, the intersection of the axes is Figure 1

known as the origin (refer to Figure 1)
 CARTESIAN COORDINATE SYSTEM

 The axes divide the

coordinate plane, or the xy-
plane, into four regions
called quadrants.

 The quadrants are numbered

counterclockwise and they
do not include any points on
the axes.
 CARTESIAN COORDINATE SYSTEM
 The position of a point on a Cartesian plane is represented by referring
to it in terms of a horizontal line and a vertical line, which are called
the x-axis and y-axis respectively.

 The position of any point on the Cartesian plane is described by using

two numbers, (x, y), that are called coordinates.

 The first number, x, is the horizontal position of the point from

the origin. It is called the x-coordinate. The second number, y, is the
vertical position of the point from the origin. It is called the y-
coordinate.

 Since a specific order is used to represent the coordinates, they are

called ordered pairs.
 CARTESIAN COORDINATE SYSTEM
Example of the plotted
ordered pairs:
 (2, 4)
 (4, 2)
 (-2, -3)
 (-1, 3)
 (0, -4)
 (4, -2)

 Note that (2, 4) and (4, 2)

are not the same!!
CARTESIAN COORDINATE SYSTEM
x - Intercept
 An x-intercept is a point on the x-axis.
 An x-intercept is a point on the graph where y is zero.

y - Intercept
• A y-intercept is a point on the y-axis.
• a y-intercept is a point on the graph where x is zero.
DISTANCE AND MIDPOINT FORMULAS
THE DISTANCE FORMULA
• The distance, d, between the points (x1, y1) and (x2,y2) in the Cartesian
coordinate system is:

d x2  x1  2
  y2  y1 
2
DISTANCE AND MIDPOINT FORMULAS
Example:
Find the distance between (-1, 2) and (4, -3).

Solution: Letting (x1, y1) = (-1, 2) and (x2, y2) = (4, -3), we obtain

d x2  x1 2   y2  y1 2

d  4  (1)   (3)  2
2 2

d  5   5
2 2

d 5 2 d  7.071
 DISTANCE AND MIDPOINT
FORMULAS
THE MIDPOINT FORMULA
 Consider a line segment whose endpoints are (x1, y1) and
(x2, y2).

 To find the midpoint, take the average of the two x-

coordinates and of the two y-coordinates.

 The coordinates of the segment's midpoint are

   x1  x2 y1  y2 
x, y   , 
 2 2 
 DISTANCE AND MIDPOINT
FORMULAS
Example:

Find the midpoint of the line segment with endpoints (1, -

6) and (-8, -4)

Solution:
   1  (8) (6)  (4) 
x, y   , 
 2 2 

  7 
x, y   ,5 
 2 

(-7/2, -5) is the midway between the point (1, -6) and (-8, -
4)
 LINEAR EQUATION IN TWO
VARIABLES
DEFINITION:

Let A, B, and C be real numbers such that A and B

are not both zero. Then, an equation that can be
written in the form:
Ax + By = C
is called a linear equation in two variables.
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
DEFINITION:
A solution to a linear equation is an ordered pair (x, y) that
makes the equation a true statement.
Eg: For y = 3x – 6, consider x = -1, 0,1, 2, 4.
x y Ordered pair
-1 -9 (-1, -9) 
0 --6 (0, -6) 
1 -3 (1, -3) 
2 0 (2, -0) 
4 1 (4, 1) 

Therefore, the ordered pairs are solutions to the linear

equation y = 3x – 6 and satisfy that equation.
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
DEFINITION:
The Graph of an Equation in Two Variables
 The graph of an equation in two variables is the graph of
all ordered pair solutions to the equation.

 Next slide shows the graph sketched for the linear

equation from previous example, ie: y = 3x - 6
GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
Graph of y = 3x - 6

10

6
(4,6)

-15 -10 -5 (2,0) 5 10 15 20 25

-2

(1,-3)
-4

-6
(0,-6)

-8

(-1,-9)
-10

-12
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
Example:
Plot the graph for linear equation 3x + 2y = 12
Solution:
 Rewrite the equation, 3x +2y = 12
2y = -3x + 12
y = -3/2 x + 6
 Arbitrarily select some values for x and find the corresponding y-values.
 Consider x = 0, 2, 4 (at least 3 values of x)
x y Ordered pair
0 6 (0, 6)
2 3 (2, 3)
4 0 (4, 0)
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
• Then plot the points and draw a line through the points

6
(0,6)

4
3x + 2y = 12
3
(2,3)

-8 -6 -4 -2 2 4 (4,0) 6 8 10 12

-1

-2
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
Example:
Sketch the graph for y = -2

Solution: 0.5

 The equation y = -2 may be taken

as y = 0x –2. -3 -2 -1 1 2 3

-0.5

 No matter what the value for x is, -1

y will always be equal to -2.

-1.5

 The graph of such equation is a (-1,-2)

-2
(0,-2) (1.-2)

horizontal line passing through

the point y = -2. -2.5

-3
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
Example:
8
Sketch the graph for x = 1
6

Solution:
 The equation x = 1 may be 4
(1,4)
taken as 0y + x = 1.
2

 No matter what the value for y (1,1)

is, x will always equal to 1. -10 -5 (1,0) 5 10 15

-2
 The graph of such equation is (1, -2)

a vertical line passing through -4

the point x = 1 in this case.
-6

-8
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION

Using Intercepts for Graphing

 If a line has distinct x- and y-intercepts, then they can be
used as two points that determine the location of the line.

 Since horizontal lines, vertical lines, and lines through the

origin do not have two distinct intercepts, they cannot be
graphed using only the intercepts.
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
Example: Graph x + y = 5
 Find the x – intercept: (x, 0) 8

 y = 0:
 x + (0) = 5
6

(0,5)

 (5, 0) 4

 Find the y – intercept: (0, y) 2

 x = 0:
 (0) + y = 5 -5 (5,0) 5 10

 (0, 5) -2

 Graph the equation. -4

 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION

Try this!
Graph the following:
 y–x=1
 y = 2x
 SLOPE OF A LINE
 The slope (denoted as m) of a line is the ratio of the change
in y-coordinate, or the rise, to the change in x-coordinate, or
the run, between two points on the line.

change in y  coordinate rise

slope, m  
change in x  coordinate run

y2  y1
m , x2  x1
x2  x1
 SLOPE OF A LINE
Finding the slope from a graph (1)
Find the slope, m of the line by going
from point A to point B.

Solution:
A is located at (0, 3) and B at (2, 0). In
going from A to B,
change in y: -3 (going down)
change in x: 2 (going right)

So, the slope is

m = -3/2
 SLOPE OF A LINE
Finding the slope from a graph (2)
Find the slope of the line by going
from point A to point B.

Solution:
A is located at (2, 1) and B at (6, 3). In
going from A to B,
change in y: 2 (going up)
change in x: 4 (going right)

So, the slope is

m = 2/4 = ½
 SLOPE OF A LINE
Finding the slope from a graph (3)
Find the slope of the line by going from
point A to point B.

Solution:

A is located at (0,0) and B at (-6, -3). In

going from A to B,

change in y: -3 (going down)

change in x: -6 (going left)

So, the slope is

m = -3/-6 = ½
 SLOPE OF A LINE
Finding the slope from coordinates (1)
A is located at (0, 3) and B at (2, 0).

y2  y1
m , x2  x1
x2  x1
03
m
20

3
m
2
 SLOPE OF A LINE
Finding the slope from coordinates (2)
 A is located at (2, 1) and B at (6, 3).

y2  y1
m , x2  x1
x2  x1
3 1
m
62

2 1
m 
4 2
 SLOPE OF A LINE
Finding the slope from coordinates (3)

y2  y1
m , x2  x1
x2  x1
30
m
60

3 1
m 
6 2
 TYPE OF SLOPE
Positive Slope
 Lines that increase, or rise, from left to right have a positive
slope.
 TYPE OF SLOPE
Negative Slope
 Lines that decrease, or fall, from left to right have a negative
slope.
 TYPE OF SLOPE
Zero Slope
 Horizontal lines have a slope of zero.
 TYPE OF SLOPE
Undefined Slope
 Vertical lines have an undefined slope.
 EQUATION OF A LINE
Different forms of equation of a line

General Form ax + by + c = 0 where a, b, and c are

real numbers

Slope-Intercept y = mx + c Where m is the slope of

Form the line, and c is the y-
intercept

Point-Slope Form y – y1 = m (x – x1) where m is the slope of

the line, and P(x1, y1) is
a point on the line
 EQUATION OF A LINE
Example:

Find an equation for the line through (-2, 5) and slope = 3.

Solution:
y  y1  mx  x1 
y  5  3x  (2)
y  5  3x  6
y  3x  1
 EQUATION OF A LINE
Example:
Find the equation of the line through the given pair of points
(3,5) and (4,7).
Solution:
i) Find the slope 75
slope  m  2
43
ii) Use the slope and one point, say (3, 5) in the point-slope
form
y  y1  mx  x1 
y  5  2x  3
y  5  2x  6
y  2x 1
 PARALLEL LINES

 A line is said to be parallel to another line where the

slope of the both lines are equal

m1 = m2
 PERPENDICULAR LINES

 A line is said to be perpendicular to another line where

the slope of the both lines are negative reciprocal

1
m1 = -
𝑚2
 CARTESIAN COORDINATE SYSTEM
Tutorials:
1. Plot the following points in a rectangular coordinate system.
For each point, name the quadrant in which it lies or the axis
on which it lies.
i. (2, 5) iii. (-5, 1) v. (2, -6)
ii. (-1, -6) iv. (0, 4) vi. (3, 0)

2. Explain why the point (0, -2) is not located in Quadrant IV.

3. Explain why the point (-4, 0) is not located in Quadrant II.

 DISTANCE AND MIDPOINT
FORMULAS
Tutorials:
Find the midpoint and distance of the line segment with the
given endpoints.
1. (0, 0) and (6, 8)
2. (-1, 0) and (6, -2)
3. (-2, -5) and (5, 1)
4. (1/2, 7) and (5, 2/5)
5. (2, 4) and (0, 6)
6. (-3, 5) and (3, -3)
7. (0.2, 1.5) and (9.1, 6.4)
 GRAPHING A LINEAR EQUATION
Tutorials:
Graph the following:
1. x + 2y = 4
2. 2x - 3y = 6
3. x + 5 = 0
4. y + 1 = 0
5. 6x + 3y = 0
 TYPE OF SLOPE
Tutorials:
Find the slope of the line that contains each of the following
points:
1. (2, 6) and (5, 1)
2. (-3, -1) and (4, 3)
3. (-2, -2) and (-1, 7)
4. (2, 6) and (1, 8)
5. (5, 1) and ( 5, -2)
6. (0, 3) and ( -1, 3)
7. (24.3, 11.9) and (3.57, 8.40)
8. (-2.7, 19.3), (5.46, -3.28)
 EQUATION OF A LINE
Tutorials:
1. Find the slope of the line that passes through (2,3) and
(4,3).
2. Find the slope and the y-intercept of 3x + 5y - 9 = 0.
3. What is the slope of the line y - 4x + 6 = 0?
4. What is the y-intercept of the line 3x + 2y = 5?
5. What is an equation of the line through (4,1) and (2,4) ?
6. What is an equation of the line passing through the points
( 6, -3 ) and ( -2, 3 )?
 EQUATION OF A LINE
Tutorials:
7. Find an equation of the line which has a slope of 2/3 and a
y-intercept of 2?
8. Find an equation of the line with x-intercept -2 and y-
intercept 2?
9. What is an equation of the line through (-8,1) with
undefined slope ?
10. What is an equation of the line through (4,3) with slope
equal to zero?
 EQUATION OF A LINE
Tutorials:
11. For each of the given equations, do the following:
(i) Rewrite the equation in slope-intercept form
(ii) Determine the slope
(iii) Find the intercepts (x and y)
(iv) Graph the equation.

a) y – 5x – 10 = 0
b) 2y – x + 4 = 0
c) -2x + y + 8 = 0
d) 3y + 2x + 6 = 0
e) 5x – 5y – 15 = 0
THE END