COORDINATE GEOMETERY

Length of a line segment and midpoint:

x + x2 y1 + y2  Q (x2, y2)
To find the midpoint, M, of the line segment PQ: M =  1 , 
 2 2
To find the length of PQ: PQ = ( x2 − x1 )2 + ( y2 − y1 )2 M

P (x1, y1)

Parallel and perpendicular lines:

Q(x2, y2)
y2 − y1
Gradient of PQ =
x2 − x1

P(x1, y1)

Parallel lines Perpendicular lines

s gradient = m

1
gradient = −
C m

If two lines are parallel, then their gradients If a line has gradient m, then every line
d

are equal. 1
perpendicular to it has gradient − .
m
If the gradients of two perpendicular lines are m1 and m2 , then m1 × m2 = −1.

Equation of a straight line:

In fact this is always true when y is the subject of the equation:
y = mx
m + c

y is the subject gradient y-intercept

of the equation
In summary:
• equations of a straight line graphs can be written in the form of y = mx + c
• c (the constant term) tells you where the graph cuts the y-axis (the y-intercept)
• m (the coefficient of x) is the gradient of the graph; a negative value means the graph slopes
w

down the to the right, a positive value means it slopes up to the right. The higher the value of
m, the steeper the gradient of the graph
• graphs which have the same gradient are parallel to each other (therefore graphs that are
e

parallel have the same gradient).

1. Find the length of the line segment joining each pair of point.
a. (3, 6) and (9, 12)
b. (5, 8) and (4, 11)
c. (-1, 2) and (3, 5)
2. Find the distance from origin to the point (-3, -5).

3. Which of the point A (5, 6) or B (5, 3) is closer to the point

C (-3, 2)?
4. The triangle ABC has its vertices at points A (0, 0), B (4, -5)
and C (-3, -3). Find the length of each side.

5. Find the co-ordinate of midpoint of the line segment joining

each pair of points.
a. (4, 10) and (2, 6)
b. (8, 3) and (4, 7)
c. (-2, -4) and (-3, 7)
6. The midpoint of line segment joining (10, a) and (4, 3) is (7, 5).
What is the value of a?

7. The midpoint of line segment DE is (-4, 3). If point D has co-

ordinates (-2, 8), what are the co-ordinate of E?
8. Calculate the gradient of the line passes through both points in
each case. Leave your answer as a whole number or a fraction in
its lowest terms.
a. A (1, 2) and B (3, 8)
b. A (2, -1) and B (4, 3)
c. A (-1, -4) and B (-3 2)

9. If the gradient of the line joining the points (-3, -7) and (4, p) is
3
, find the value of p.
5
10. The points P (2, -3), Q (3, -2) and R (8, z) are collinear, i.e.
they lie on a straight line. Find the value of z.

11. Find the gradient and y-intercept of the lines with the
following equations.
a. 𝑦 = 4𝑥 − 5
b. 𝑦 = 2𝑥 + 3
1
c. 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 2
3
1
d. 𝑦 = 6 − 𝑥
4
12. Rearrange each equation so that it is in the form 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 +
𝑐 and then find the gradient and y-intercept of each graph.
a. 2𝑦 = 𝑥 − 4
b. 2𝑥 − 𝑦 − 5 = 0
𝑦
c. 𝑥 = − 2
2
𝑥
d. − 4𝑦 = 12
2

13. Find the equation (in the form of 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑐) of a line

which has:
a. a gradient of 2 and a y-intercept of 3
b. a gradient of 3 and a y-intercept of −1
c. a y-intercept of −0.75 and a gradient of 0.75
14. Find the equation of the line which passes through both
points in each case.
a. A (2, 3) and B (4, 11)
b. A (−1, −3) and B (4, 6)
c. A (3, −5) and B (7, 12)

15. Find the equation of a line parallel to y = 2x + 4 and passes

through the point (0, −4)
16. Given A (0, 0) and B (1, 3), find the equation of the line
perpendicular to AB with a y-intercept of 5.

17. Line A joins the points (6, 0) and (0, 12) and Line B joins the
points (8, 10) and (4, 8). Determine the gradient of each line and
state whether A is perpendicular to B
18
y
8
l
7
A
6
5
4
3
2
1

–5 –4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 x
–1
B
–2
–3

(a) Write down the co-ordinates of A.

( ..................... , ......................) [1]

(b) Find the equation of line l in the form y = mx + c.

y = ............................................... [3]

(c) Write down the equation of the line parallel to line l that passes through the point B.

................................................ [2]

(d) C is the point (8, 14).

(i) Write down the equation of the line perpendicular to line l that passes through the point C.

................................................ [3]

(ii) Calculate the length of AC.

................................................ [3]

(iii) Find the co-ordinates of the mid-point of BC.

( ..................... , ......................) [2]

19 (a)

A NOT TO
(–3, 4) SCALE

x
0

B
(6, –2)

Calculate the length of AB.

................................................ [3]

(b) The point P has co-ordinates ^10, 12h and the point Q has co-ordinates ^2, - 4h .

Find

(i) the co-ordinates of the mid-point of the line PQ,

( ....................... , .......................) [2]

(ii) the gradient of the line PQ,

................................................ [2]

(iii) the equation of a line perpendicular to PQ that passes through the point ^2, 3h .

................................................ [3]
20 Line A has equation y = 5x - 4.
Line B has equation 3x + 2y = 18.

(a) Find the gradient of

(i) line A,

................................................... [1]

(ii) line B.

................................................... [1]

(b) Write down the co-ordinates of the point where line A crosses the x-axis.

(....................... , .......................) [2]

(c) Find the equation of the line perpendicular to line A which passes through the point (10, 9).
Give your answer in the form y = mx + c.

y = .................................................. [4]

(d) Work out the co-ordinates of the point of intersection of line A and line B.

(....................... , .......................) [3]

(e) Work out the area enclosed by line A, line B and the y-axis.

................................................... [3]
21 A line joins the points A (- 3, 8) and B (2, - 2).

(a) Find the co-ordinates of the midpoint of AB.

(....................... , .......................) [2]

(b) Find the equation of the line through A and B.

Give your answer in the form y = mx + c.

y = ....................................... [3]

(c) Another line is parallel to AB and passes through the point (0, 7).

Write down the equation of this line.

................................................. [2]

(d) Find the equation of the line perpendicular to AB which passes through the point (1, 5).
Give your answer in the form ax + by + c = 0 where a, b and c are integers.

................................................. [4]
22 A line joins the points A (–2, –5) and B (4, 13).

(a) Calculate the length AB.

AB = ................................................. [3]

(b) Find the equation of the line through A and B.

Give your answer in the form y = mx + c.

y = ................................................. [3]

(c) Another line is parallel to AB and passes through the point (0, –5).

Write down the equation of this line.

.................................................. [2]

(d) Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of AB.

.................................................. [5]
23
y

2 B

A x NOT TO
–4 0 4 SCALE

–2

2
x2 y
The diagram shows a curve with equation + = 1.
a2 b2
(a) A is the point (4, 0) and B is the point (0, 2).

(i) Find the equation of the straight line that passes through A and B.
Give your answer in the form y = mx + c.

y = .................................................. [3]

(ii) Show that a2 = 16 and b2 = 4.

[2]
24 A is the point (2, 3) and B is the point (7, -5).

(a) Find the co-ordinates of the midpoint of AB.

(........................, ........................) [2]

(b) Find the equation of the line through A that is perpendicular to AB.
Give your answer in the form y = mx + c.

y = .................................................... [4]
25
y

NOT TO
SCALE
C

O x

The diagram shows the points C(–1, 2) and D(9, 7).

Find the equation of the line perpendicular to CD that passes through the point (1, 3).
Give your answer in the form y = mx + c.

y = ............................................... [4]
26 (a) Point A has co-ordinates (1, 0) and point B has co-ordinates (2, 5).

Calculate the distance between the points A and B.

.............................................. [3]

(b) The line PQ has equation y = 3x - 8 and point P has co-ordinates (6, 10).

Find the equation of the line that passes through P and is perpendicular to PQ.
Give your answer in the form y = mx + c.

y = .............................................. [3]
27 A is the point (4, 1) and B is the point (10, 15).

Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the line AB.

................................................... [6]
28
y

NOT TO
SCALE

x
A O

A is the point (-2, 0) and B is the point (0, 4).

(a) Find the equation of the straight line joining A and B.

................................................. [3]

(b) Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of AB.

................................................. [4]
 29 Three of the vertices of a parallelogram are at (4, 12), (8, 4) and (16, 16).
y
24

20

16

12

x
–8 –4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Write down the co-ordinates of two possible positions of the fourth vertex.

Answer (........... , ...........) and (........... , ...........) [2]

y
30
l 5

1
x
–3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4 5
–1

–2

–3

(a) Find the equation of the line l.

Give your answer in the form y = mx + c.

y = .................................................. [3]

(b) A line perpendicular to the line l passes through the point (3, −1).

Find the equation of this line.

................................................... [3]
Answers:
1. a. 8.49 2. 5.83 3. point B is closer to
b. 3.16 point C
c. 5
4. AB = 6.40 5. a. (3, 5) 6.
BC = 7.28 b. (6, 5) a=7
AC = 4.24 c. (-2.5, 1.5)
7. E (-6, -2) 8. a. m = 3 9.
b. m = 2 P = - 2.8
c. m = -3
10. 11. a. m = 4, c = -5 1
12. a. m= , c = -2
2
Z=3 b. m = 2, c = 3 b. m = 2, c = -5
1
c. m = , c = 2 c. m = 2, c=4
3
−1 1
d. m = , c = 6 d. m= , c = -3
4 8
13. a. y = 2x + 3 14. a. y = 4x – 5 15.
b. y = 3x – 1 b. y = 1.8x – 1.2 y = 2x - 4
c. y = 0.75x – 0.75 c. y = 4.25x–17.75
16. 17. 18. a. (5, 6)
−1 Line A and Line B are b. y = – 0.8x + 3
y= x+5
3
perpendicular c. y = –0.8x –2
d.(i). y = 1.25x + 4
(ii). 8.54 or 8.544…
(iii). (4, 6)
19. a. 10.8 −3 21. a. (- 0.5, 3)
20. a. (i). 5 (ii).
2
b. (i). (6, 4) 4 b. y = - 2x – 2
b. ( , 0)
(ii). 2 5 c. y = - 2x + 7
(iii). y = - 0.5x + 4 c. y = - 0.2x + 11 d. x – 2y + 9 = 0
d. (2, 6)
e. 13
22. a. 18.97… −1 24. a. (4.5, - 1)
23. (i). y = 𝑥+ 2
2 5 7
b. y = 3x + 1 (ii). shown b. y = 𝑥 +
8 4
c. y = 3x – 5
−1 13
d. y = x +
3 3
25. 𝑦 = −2𝑥 + 5 26. a. 5.1 3
27. 𝑦 = − 𝑥 + 11
−1 7
b. 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 12
3
28. a. y = 2x + 4 29. any two of (20, 8) 30. a. y = -2x + 3
b. y = - 0.5x + 1.5 (-4, 0) and (12, 24) 1 5
b. y = 𝑥 −
2 2