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LarColAlg8 02 01
LarColAlg8 02 01
Their Graphs 2
line.
• Write linear equations in two variables.
• Use slope to identify parallel and perpendicular
lines.
• Use slope and linear equations in two variables
to model and solve real-life problems. 3
Using Slope
4
Using Slope
The simplest mathematical model for relating two variables
is the linear equation in two variables y = mx + b.
= b.
5
Using Slope
So, the line crosses the y-axis at y = b, as shown in
Figure 2.1. In other words, the y-intercept is (0, b).
y = mx + b
Slope y-Intercept
Positive slope, line rises.
Figure 2.1
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Using Slope
The slope of a nonvertical line is the number of units the
line rises (or falls) vertically for each unit of horizontal
change from left to right, as shown in Figure 2.1 and
Figure 2.2.
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Using Slope
A linear equation that is written in the form y = mx + b is
said to be written in slope-intercept form.
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Using Slope
In the next example, note that none of the lines is vertical.
x = a. Vertical line
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Example 1 – Graphing a Linear Equation
Sketch the graph of each linear equation.
a. y = 2x + 1
b. y = 2
c. x + y = 2
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Example 1(a) – Solution
Because b = 1, the y-intercept is (0, 1).
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Finding the Slope of a Line
Given an equation of a line, you can find its slope by writing
the equation in slope-intercept form. If you are not given an
equation, you can still find the slope of a line.
For instance, suppose you want to find the slope of the line
passing through the points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2), as shown in
Figure 2.7.
Figure 2.7
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Finding the Slope of a Line
As you move from left to right along this line, a change of
(y2 – y1) units in the vertical direction corresponds to a
change of (x2 – x1) units in the horizontal direction.
The ratio of (y2 – y1) to (x2 – x1) represents the slope of the
line that passes through the points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2).
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Finding the Slope of a Line
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Finding the Slope of a Line
When this formula is used for slope, the order of
subtraction is important. Given two points on a line, you
are free to label either one of them as (x1, y1) and the
other as (x2, y2).
However, once you have done this, you must form the
numerator and denominator using the same order of
subtraction.
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Example 2 – Finding the Slope of a Line Through Two Points
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Example 2(a) – Solution
Letting (x1, y1) = (–2, 0) and (x2, y2) = (3, 1), you obtain a
slope of
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Example 2(b) – Solution cont’d
Figure 2.9
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Example 2(c) – Solution cont’d
The slope of the line passing through (0, 4) and (1, –1) is
Figure 2.10
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Example 2(d) – Solution cont’d
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Writing Linear Equations in Two
Variables
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Writing Linear Equations in Two Variables
y – y1 = m(x – x1)
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Writing Linear Equations in Two Variables
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Example 3 – Using the Point-Slope Form
Find the slope-intercept form of the equation of the line that
has a slope of 3 and passes through the point (1, –2).
Solution:
Use the point-slope form with m = 3 and (x1, y1) = (1, –2).
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Example 3 – Solution cont’d
y + 2 = 3x – 3 Simplify.
Figure 2.12
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Writing Linear Equations in Two Variables
The point-slope form can be used to find an equation of the
line passing through two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2).
Two-point form
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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Slope can be used to decide whether two nonvertical lines
in a plane are parallel, perpendicular, or neither.
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Example 4 – Finding Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Solution:
By writing the equation of the given line in slope-intercept
form
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Example 4 – Solution cont’d
Figure 2.13
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Example 4 – Solution cont’d
a. Any line parallel to the given line must also have a slope
of
So, the line through (2, –1) that is parallel to the given
line has the following equation.
3y + 3 = 2x – 4 Distributive Property
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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Notice in Example 4 how the slope-intercept form is used to
obtain information about the graph of a line, whereas the
point-slope form is used to write the equation of a line.
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Applications
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Applications
In real-life problems, the slope of a line can be interpreted
as either a ratio or a rate.
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Example 5 – Using Slope as a Ratio
The maximum recommended slope of a wheelchair ramp is
40
Example 5 – Solution
The horizontal length of the ramp is 24 feet or
12(24) = 288 inches, as shown in Figure 2.14.
Figure 2.14
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Example 5 – Solution cont’d
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Example 8 – Predicting Sales
The sales for Best Buy were approximately $35.9 billion in
2006 and $40.0 billion in 2007. Using only this information,
write a linear equation that gives the sales (in billions of
dollars) in terms of the year. Then predict the sales for
2010. (Source: Best Buy Company, Inc.)
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Example 8 – Solution
Let t = 6 represent 2006. Then the two given values are
represented by the data points (6, 35.9) and (7, 40.0).
Using the point-slope form, you can find the equation that
relates the sales y and the year t to be
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Example 8 – Solution cont’d
y = 4.1(10) + 11.3
= 41 + 11.3
Figure 2.17
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Applications
The prediction method illustrated in Example 8 is called
linear extrapolation.
Linear interpolation
Figure 2.19
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Applications
Because the slope of a vertical line is not defined, its
equation cannot be written in slope-intercept form.
Ax + By + C = 0 General form
where A and B are not both zero. For instance, the vertical
line given by x = a can be represented by the general form
x – a = 0.
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Applications
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