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STRAIGHT LINE

SYNOPSIS AND FORMULAE

1. Inclination of a Line

i. The angle between the line and the positive direction of x-axis is called the inclination of
the line.

π
ii. If ‘θ’ is the inclination of a ling the θ ± is the inclination of its perpendicular line
2
according at θ is acute or obtuse.

iii. Inclination of parallel lines are equal.

2. Slope of Line

i. If ‘θ’ is the inclination of a line, then ‘tan θ’ is called its ‘slope’ and is denoted by ‘m’.

ii. The slope of a horizontal line (i.e. a line parallel to x-axis) is zero.

iii. The slope of a vertical line (i.e. a line perpendicular to x-axis) is not defined.

iv. The slopes of parallel line are equal.

v. If m1, m2 are the slopes of two mutually perpendicular lines, then m1m2 = –1

(non vertical).

y1 − y2
vi. The slope of a line passing through A(x1, y1), B(x2, y2) is , when x 1 ≠ x2.
x1 − x2

−b
vii. If a line cuts x-axis at A (a, 0) and y-axis at B (0, b),then the slope of AB is , where
a

‘a’ is the x-intercept and ‘b’ is the y-intercept.

3. Different forms of a Straight Line

i. Slope-intercept Form: equation of the line having slope ‘m’ and y-intercept ‘c is

y = mx + c.

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ii. Point-Slope Form : equation of the line having slope ‘m’ and passing through the point

(x1, y1) is y – y1 = m(x – x1)

iii. Two-point Form: Equation of the line passing through points (x1, y1) and (x2 y2) is

y2 − y1
y – y1 = (x – x1).
x2 − x1

iv. Intercept Form: Equation of the line which has x-intercept ‘a and y-intercept ‘b’ is

x y
+ = 1.
a b

v. Normal or perpendicular form: Equation of the line having ‘p’ as its perpendicular
distance from the origin and ‘α’ as the inclination of its normal from the origin, is
x cos α + y sin α = p, (0 ≤ α < 360).

vi. Symmetric Form: Equation of the line passing through (x1, y1) and having inclination ‘θ’
x − x1 y − y1 n∏
with the x-axis is = = ± r where θ ± and ‘r’ is the distance of (x1, y1) from
cos θ sin θ 2
(x, y) along the lien. The parametric equations of symmetric form are x = x1 + r cos θ,
y = y1 + r sin θ, where |r| is the distance between (x, y) and (x1, y1).

4. General form of Straight Line:

Every first degree equation in x and y is ax + by + c = 0, (a, b) ≠ (0, 0) represents a straight

line.

−a
i. Slope of the line =
b
−c
ii. X-intercept = .
a
−c
iii. y-intercept = .
b

c2
iv. Area of the triangle formed by this line and the coordinate axes = .
2 | ab |

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|c|
v. Length of the perpendicular from the origin is
a2 + b2

| ax1 + by1 + c |
vi. Length of the perpendicular from (x1, y1) is .
a2 + b2

| c1 − c2 |
vii. The distance between the parallel lines ax + by + c1 = 0, ax + by + c1 = 0 is .
a2 + b2

5. Equation of the line passing though (x1, y1):

i. And parallel to ax + by + c = 0 is a(x – x1) + b(y – y1) = 0.

ii. And perpendicular to ax + by + c = 0 is b (x – x1) – a(y – y1) = 0.

6. If slopes of two lines are m1, m2 and θ is the acute angle between them, then
m1 − m2
tan θ = .
1 + m1m2

7. Equation of any line passing through (x1, y1) and making an angle α with the line
−b
ax + by + c = 0 is y – y1 = tan (θ ± α) (x – x1), where tan θ = .
a

8. Let the equations of two lines be L1 = a1x + b1y + c1 = 0 and L2 = a2x + b2y + c2 = 0.

i. any line passing through the intersection of L1 = 0 and L2 = 0 is L1 + λL2 = 0.

 b c −b c c a −c a 
ii. The point of intersection of L1 = 0, L2 = 0 is  1 2 2 1
. 1 2 2 1 .
 a1b2 − a2b1 a1b −a b 
 2 2 1 

a1a2 + b1b2
iii. If θ is the acute angle between L1 = 0, L2 = 0 then cos θ = ,
a12 + b12 a2 2 + b2 2

a1b2 − a2b1 a1b2 − a2b1

tan θ = and sin θ = .
a1a2 + b1b2 a12 + b12 a2 2 + b2 2

a1 b1 c1
iv. Condition for L1 = 0, L2 = 0 to be parallel is = ≠
a2 b2 c2

v. Condition for L1 = 0, L2 = 0 to be perpendicular is a1a2 + b1b2 = 0.

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a1 b1 c1
vi. Condition for L1 = 0, L2 = 0 to be coincident is = = .
a2 b2 c2

9. The ration in which L = ax + by + c = 0 divides the line segment joining (x1, y1) and (x2, y2)
− L11
is Where L11 = ax1 + by1 + c; L22 = ax2 + by2 + c.
L22

10. The points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are on the same side or on the opposite sides of L = 0
according as the signs of L11, L22 are the same or different.

11. Equation of the angular bisectors of the two lines a1x + b1y + c1 = 0 and a2x + b2y + c2 = 0
a1 x + b1 y + c1 a2 x + b2 y + c2
are =± .
a12 + b12 a2 2 + b2 2

a1 x + b1 y + c1 a2 x + b2 y + c2
12. i. If c1, c2 are positive, then = is the bisector of the angle containing
a12 + b12 a2 + b2
2 2

the origin.

a1 x + b1 y + c1  a x+b y+c 
ii. If c1, c2 are positive, then = − 2 2 2 
is the bisector of the angle not
a12 + b12  a 2
+ b 2 
 2 2 
containing the origin.

iii. In the case of the bisector of the angle containing the origin, the angle between
a1x + b1y + c1 = 0, a2x + b2y + c1 = 0, is acute or obtuse according as a1a2 + b1b2 < 0 or > 0.

2
1 c −c
13. Area of the triangle formed by y = m1x + c1, y = m2x + c2, y = m3x + c3 is ∑ 1 2 .
2 m1 − m2

P1P2
14. Area of the parallelogram ABCD is where P1, P2 are the distance between the parallel
sin θ
sides and θ is the angle between the adjacent sides of the parallelogram.

15. Area of the parallelogram flowed by the lines a1x + b1y + c1 = 0, a1x + b1y + d1 = 0,
(c1 − d1 )(c2 − d 2 )
a2x + b2y + c2 = 0, a2x + b2y + d2 = 0 is .
a1b2 − a2b1

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16. The foot of the perpendicular from (x1, y1) on to the line ax + by + c = 0 is
 ax1 + by1 + c 
(x1 + aλ, y1 + bλ), where λ = −  
 a +b
2 2


17. The image of the point (x1, y1) w.r.t. the line ax + by + c = 0 is (x1 + aλ, y1 + bλ),
 ax1 + by1 + c 
where λ = −2  .
 a +b
2 2


18. The distance of the point P(x1, y1) from the line ax + by + c = 0 in the direction making an
ax1 + by1 + c
angle θ with x-axis is .
a cos θ + b sin θ

19. Let (x1, y1) divide the segment AB between the coordinate axes in the ratio λ : µ.

λx µy
The equation of AB is + = λ + µ.
x1 y1

20. In-centre of the triangle formed by lx + my + n = 0 and two coordinate axis is

 a|b| b|a| 
 ,  Where ‘a’ and ‘b’ are the intercepts made by the
 | a | + | b | + a 2 + b 2 | a | + | b | b | + a 2 + b2 
 
line on the axis.

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