LINEAR

EQUATIONS
MSJC ~ Menifee Valley Campus
Math Center Workshop Series

Janice Levasseur

Equations of the Line

Write the equation of a line given the
slope and the y-intercept: m and (0, b)
Write the equation of a line given the
slope and a point
Write the equation of a line given two
points

Ex: Find an equation of the line with

slope = 6 and y-int = (0, -3/2)
Recall: slope-intercept form of a linear equation
y = mx + b, where m and b are constants
Given the y-int = (0, -3/2) b = - 3/2
Given the slope = 6 m = 6
Putting everything together we get the equation
of the line in slope-int form:
y = mx + b
y = 6x 3/2

Ex: Find an equation of the line with

slope = 1.23 and y-int = (0, 0.63)
Recall: slope-intercept form of a linear equation
y = mx + b, where m and b are constants
Given the y-int = (0, 0.63) b = 0.63
Given the slope = 1.23 m = 1.23
Putting everything together we get the equation
of the line in slope-int form:
y = mx + b
y = 1.23x + 0.63

Equations of the Line

Write the equation of a line given the
slope and the y-intercept
Write the equation of a line given the
slope and a point: m and (x1, y1)
Write the equation of a line given two
points

Ex: Find an equation of the line

with slope = -3 that contains
the point (4, 2)
Start with the slope-intercept form of a linear equation
y = mx + b
Slope = - 3

y = - 3x + b

What is b, though?

Use the given point (4, 2) x = 4 and y = 2

y = - 3x + b 2 = - 3(4) + b
2 = -12 + b
14 = b

put it together
we have m and b
y = - 3 x + 14

Ex: Find an equation of the line

with slope = -0.25 that contains
the point (2, -6)
Start with the slope-intercept form of a linear equation
y = mx + b
Slope = -0.25 y = -0.25 x + b

What is b, though?

Use the given point (2, -6) x = 2 and y = -6

y = -0.25 x + b -6 = -0.25(2) + b
-6 = -0.5 + b

-5.5 = b

put it together
we have m and b
y = -0.25x 5.5

Equations of the Line

Write the equation of a line given the
slope and the y-intercept
Write the equation of a line given the
slope and a point
Write the equation of a line given two
points: (x1, y1) and (x2, y2)

Ex: Find an equation of the line

containing the points (-2, 1) and (3, 5)
Point 1

Point 2

First, find the slope of the line containing the points:

Slope = m = rise = y1 - y2 = 1 (5)
run x1 - x2 -2 3

4 4

5 5

Now we have m = 4/5 and two points.

Pick one point and proceed like in the last section.

We have m = 4/5, the point (-2, 1), and y = mx + b

Slope = 4/5 y = 4/5x + b

What is b, though?

Use the given point (-2, 1) x = -2 and y = 1

y = 4/5x + b 1 = 4/5(-2) + b
1 = (-8/5) + b
13/5 = b
put it together

we have m and b
y = 4/5x + 13/5

Ex: Find an equation of the line

containing the points (-4, 5) and (-2, -3)
Point 1

Point 2

First, find the slope of the line containing the points:

-4 (-2) 2

Slope = m = rise = y1 - y2 = 5 (-3)

run

x1 - x2

= -4

Now we have m = -4 and two points. Pick one point

and proceed like in the last section.

We have m = -4, the point (-4, 5), and y = mx + b

Slope = -4

y = -4x + b

What is b, though?

Use the given point (-4, 5) x = -4 and y = 5

y = -4x + b

5 = -4(-4) + b
5 = 16 + b
-11 = b

put it together

we have m and b
y = -4x 11

Ex: Find an equation of the line

containing the points (0, 0) and (1, -5)
Point 1

Point 2

First, find the slope of the line containing the points:

Slope = m = rise = y1 - y2 = 0 (-5)
run

x1 - x2

0 (1)

= -5

Now we have m = -5 and two points. Pick one point

and proceed like in the last section.

We have m = -5, the point (0, 0), and y = mx + b

Slope = -5

y = -5x + b

What is b, though?

Use the given point (0, 0) x = 0 and y = 0

y = -5x + b

0 = -5(0) + b
0=0+b
0=b

put it together

we have m and b
y = -5x + 0
y = -5x

Equations of the Line

Write the equation of a line given the
slope and the y-intercept
Write the equation of a line given the
slope and a point
Write the equation of a line given two
points

Parallel & Perpendicular Lines

When we graph a pair of linear equations,

there are three possibilities:

1. the graphs intersect at exactly one point

2. the graphs do not intersect
3. the graphs intersect at infinitely many points

We will consider a special case of situation 1

and also situation 2.

Perpendicular Lines (Situation 1)

Perpendicular lines intersect at a right
angle
Notation:
L1: y = m1x + b1
L2: y = m2x + b2
L1 L2

Nonvertical perpendicular lines have slopes that

are the negative reciprocals of each other:
m1m2 = -1 ~ or ~ m1 = - 1/m2 ~ or ~ m2 = - 1/m1
If l1 is vertical (l1: x = a) and is perpendicular to l2,
then l2 is horizontal (l2: y = b) ~ and ~ vice versa

Ex: Determine whether or not the

graphs of the equations of the lines
are perpendicular:
l1: x + y = 8 and l2: x y = - 1
First, determine the slopes of each line by
rewriting the equations in slope-intercept form:
l1: y = - 1x + 8 and l2: y =1 x + 1
m1 = -1 and m2 = 1
Since m1m2 = (-1)(1) = -1, the lines are perpendicular.

Ex: Determine whether or not the

graphs of the equations of the lines
are perpendicular:
l1: -2x + 3y = -21 and l2: 2y 3x = 16
First, determine the slopes of each line by
rewriting the equations in slope-intercept form:
l1: y = (2/3)x - 7 and l2: y = (3/2)x + 8
m1 =

and m2 =

2/3
3/2
Since m1m2 = (2/3)(3/2) = 1 = -1
Therefore, the lines are not perpendicular!

Parallel Lines (Situation 2)

Parallel lines do not intersect
Notation:
L1: y = m1x + b1
L2: y = m2x + b2
L1 L2

Nonvertical parallel lines have the same slopes

but different y-intercepts:
m1 = m2 ~ and ~ b1 = b2
Horizontal Parallel Lines have equations
y = p and y = q

where p and q differ.

Vertical Parallel Lines have equations

x = p and x = q

where p and q differ.

Ex: Determine whether or not the

graphs of the equations of the lines
are parallel:
l1: 3x - y = -5 and l2: y 3x = - 2
First, determine the slopes and intercepts of each
line by rewriting the equations in slope-intercept
form:
l1: y = 3x + 5 and l2: y = 3x - 2
m1 = 3 and m2 = 3

b1 = 5 and b2 = -2

Since m1 = m2 and b1 = b2 the lines are parallel.

Ex: Determine whether or not the

graphs of the equations of the lines
are parallel:
l1: 4x + y = 3 and l2: x + 4y = - 4
First, determine the slopes and intercepts of each
line by rewriting the equations in slope-intercept
form:
l1: y = -4x + 3 and l2: y = (-)x - 1
m1 = -4 and m2 = -
Since m1 = m2 the lines are not parallel.