The equation of the line joining two points

( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 ) is
y - y1 x - x1
= ® (1)
y2 - y1 x2 - x1
The equation of the line with slope of the line joining two points,

if slope is ‘m’, and point

( x1 , y1 ) are given,
the equation of the line will be
y - y1 = m ( x - x1 ) .

But when both end points

( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 ) are known the slope ‘m’ will be
y2 - y1
m=
x2 - x1 . Hence the equation of the line will be
y2 - y1
y - y1 = ( x - x1 ) ® (2)
x2 - x1

To find the x-intercept of the line joining

( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 ) replacing y = 0 and
x = a in equation ( 1) we have

0 - y1 a - x1 x1 y1 a
= - =
y2 - y1 x2 - x1 . That is, x2 - x1 y2 - y1 x2 - x1
x1 y2 - x1 y1 - x2 y1 + x1 y1
= a
That is,
( y2 - y1 ) Simplifying we have
x1 y2 - x2 y1
= a
( y2 - y1 ) . Similarly by replacing x = 0 and
y = b in equation ( 1)
we have

b - y1 0 - x1 b y1 x1
= = -
y2 - y1 x2 - x1 . That is, y2 - y1 y2 - y1 x2 - x1

x2 y1 - x1 y2
b=
Simplifying we get,
x2 - x1
x y
+ =1
The equation of the line with both intercepts is given by a b
Using the derived values of a and b we have

x ( y2 - y1 ) y ( x2 - x1 )
+ = 1 ® ( 3)
x1 y2 - x2 y1 x2 y1 - x1 y2