LINES AND

FIRST DEGREE EQUATIONS

STRAIGHT LINES
-A straight line is a locus of a point that moves in a plane
with constant slope. It may also be referred to simply as a line
which contains at least two distinct points.

LINES PARALLEL TO A COORDINATE AXIS

-If a straight line is parallel to the y-axis, its equation is x
= k, where k is the directed distance of the line from the y-axis.
Similarly, if a line is parallel to the x-axis, its equation is y = k,
where k is the directed distance of the line from the x-axis.
 DIFFERENT STANDARD FORMS OF
THE EQUATION OF A STRAIGHT LINE

A. POINT-SLOPE FORM:
If the line passes through the point (x1, y1), then the
y y
slope of the line is m 
x  x . Rewriting the equation we
1

1
y  y  m x  x 
have which is the standard equation of
1 1

the point-slope form.

EXAMPLE:
Find the general equation of the line:
a.through (-4,-8) and (2,7).
b.through the point (-3, 4) with slope of -2/5
c. A line passes through (1,9) and is parallel to
the line through (-2,2) and (4,5).
B. SLOPE-INTERCEPT FORM:
Consider a line not parallel to either axes of the
coordinate axes. Let the slope of the line be m and
intersecting the y-axis at point (0, b), then the slope
y b
of the line
m  is . Rewriting the equation, we
x 0
have
y  mx b
which is the standard equation of the slope-
intercept form.
• Example:
Find the equation of the ff. lines
a. y-intercept is -7 and slope 4/3.
• b. line passes through (-3,-9) and is
perpendicular to the line 5x + y -4 =0
• c.
C. INTERCEPT FORM:
Let the intercepts of the line be the points (a, 0)
b
and (0, b). Then the slope of the line m   and its
b a
equation is y  b   x  0  . Simplifying the equation
x y a
we have   1 which is the standard equation of
a b
the intercept form.
• Example:
Find the equation of the ff. lines:
a. x-intercept is 4 and y-intercept is -7.
• b. passing through (1,-4) and with equal
intercepts.
c. Reduce 4x –3y -12 = 0 to intercept form.