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CIE IGCSE Maths: Extended Your notes

Linear Graphs
Contents
Linear Graphs
Parallel & Perpendicular Lines

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Linear Graphs
Your notes
Finding Equations of Straight Lines
Why do we want to know about straight lines and their equations?
Straight Line Graphs (Linear Graphs) have lots of uses in mathematics – one use is in navigation
We may want to know the equation of a straight line so we can program it into a computer that will plot
the line on a screen, along with several others, to make shapes and graphics
How do we find the equation of a straight line?
The general equation of a straight line is y = mx + c where;
m is the gradient,
c is the y -axis intercept (or simply, the y -intercept)
To find the equation of a straight line you need TWO things:
1. the gradient, m , which you can put straight into y = mx + c
rise
get this from the question directly, or from two points using or the gradient formula
run
2. any point on the line- substitute this point into y = mx + c (as you already know m ) and solve to
find c
if given two points which you used to find the gradient, just choose either one of them for the
point to find c
You may be asked to give the equation in the form ax + by + c = 0
(especially if m is a fraction)

If in doubt, SKETCH IT!

What if the line is not in the form y=mx+c?
A line could be given in the form ax + by + c = 0
It is harder to identify the gradient and intercept in this form
We can rearrange the equation into y = mx + c , so it is easier to identify the gradient and intercept
ax + by + c = 0
Subtract ax from both sides
by + c = − ax
Subtract c from both sides
by = − ax − c
Divide both sides by b

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ax c
y=− −
b b Your notes
a c
y=− x−
b b
a c
In this case, the gradient is − and the y -intercept is −
b b

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Worked example
Your notes
(a) Find the equation of the straight line with gradient 3 that passes through (5, 4).

We know that the gradient is 3 so the line takes the form

To find the value of c, substitute (5, 4) into the equation

Replace c with −11 to complete the equation of the line

y = 3x − 11
(b) Find the equation of the straight line that passes through (-2, 6) and (8, 1).

You may find it helpful to sketch the information given

First find m, the gradient

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Your notes

We know that the line takes the form

To find the value of c, substitute either of the given points into this equation. Here we will pick (8,
1) as it is doesn't contain negative numbers so is easier to work with

Replace c with −11 to complete the equation of the line

We can check against our sketch that this equation looks correct- it has a negative gradient
and it crosses the y-axis between 1 and 6

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Drawing Linear Graphs

How do we draw the graph of a straight line from an equation? Your notes
Before you start trying to draw a straight line, make sure you understand how to find the equation of a
straight line – that will help you understand this
How we draw a straight line depends on what form the equation is given in
There are two main forms you might see:
y = mx + c and ax + by = c
Different ways of drawing the graph of a straight line:
1. From the form y = mx + c
(you might be able to rearrange to this form easily)
plot c on the y-axis
go 1 across, m up (and repeat until you can draw the line)
2. From ax + by = c
put x = 0 to find y-axis intercept
put y = 0 to find x-axis intercept
(You may prefer to rearrange to y = mx + c and use above method)

Exam Tip
It might be easier just to plot ANY two points on the line (a third one as a check is not a bad idea
either)
or use the TABLE function on your calculator.

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Worked example
Your notes
On the axes below, draw the graphs of y = 3x − 1 and 3x + 5y = 15 .

For , first plot c, which is (0, −1)

Then, as m = 3, . So plot a point 3 up and 1 right. Repeat at least once more and then join the
points with a straight line. Extend the line to the edges of the grid.

The steps for are the same, but first we need to rearrange into the form y = mx + c

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Your notes

Now we can plot c, which is (0, 3)

For the gradient, . So plot a point 3 down and 5 right. There isn't space on the grid to
repeat this so join the points with a straight line. Extend the line to the edges of the grid. The answer is
shown above

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Parallel & Perpendicular Lines

Your notes
Parallel Lines
What are parallel lines?
Parallel lines are lines that have the same gradient, but are not the same line
Parallel lines do not intersect with each other
You can easily spot that two lines are parallel when they are written in the form y = mx + c , as they
will have the same value of m (gradient)
y = 3x + 7 and y = 3x − 4 are parallel
y = 2x + 3 and y = 3x + 3 are not parallel
y = 4x + 9 and y = 4x + 9 are not parallel; they are the exact same line
How do I find the equation of a line parallel to another line?
As parallel lines have the same gradient, a line of the form y = mx + c will be parallel to a line in the
form y = mx + d , where m is the same for both lines
If c = d then they would be the same line and therefore not parallel
If you are asked to find the equation of a line parallel to y = mx + c , you will also be given some
information about a point that the parallel line, y = mx + d passes through; (x , y )
1 1
You can then substitute this point into y = mx + d and solve to find d

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Worked example
Your notes
Find the equation of the line that is parallel to y = 3x + 7 and passes through (2,1)

As the gradient is the same, the line that is parallel will be in the form:

Substitute in the coordinate that the line passes through:

Simplify:

Subtract 6 from both sides:

Final answer:

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Perpendicular Lines
What are perpendicular lines? Your notes
You should already know that parallel lines have equal gradients
Perpendicular lines meet each other at right angles – ie they meet at 90°
What’s the deal with perpendicular gradients (and lines)?
Before you start trying to work with perpendicular gradients and lines, make sure you understand how
to find the equation of a straight line – that will help you do the sorts of questions you will meet
Gradients m1 and m2 are perpendicular if m1 × m2 = −1
For example
1 and −1
1
and 3
3
2 3
− and
3 2
We can use m2 = −1 ÷ m1 to find a perpendicular gradient. This is called the negative reciprocal.
If in doubt, SKETCH IT!

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Worked example
Your notes
The line L has equation y = 2x − 2 .
Find an equation of the line perpendicular to L which passes through the point (2, − 3) .
Leave your answer in the form ax + by + c = 0 where a , b and c are integers.

L is in the form so we can see that its gradient is 2

Therefore the gradient of the line perpendicular to L will be the negative reciprocal of 2

Now we need to find for the line we're after. Do this by substituting the point into the

equation and solving for

Now we know the line we want is

But this is not in the form asked for in the question. So rearrange into the form
where , and are integers

Write the final answer

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Your notes

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