PRELIMINARIES

Coordinates and Lines

𝑎 , if 𝑎 ≥ 0
1. The absolute value of a real number 𝑎, denoted by |𝑎|, is given by the formula |𝑎| = { .
−𝑎, if 𝑎 < 0
Equivalently, we have |𝑎| = √𝑎2 .
❖ On the number line, the absolute value is just the undirected distance of the number from the
origin, that is, distance from zero disregarding whether it is to the left (negative direction) or the
right (positive direction) of zero.

Examples
1. |4| = 4
2. |−3| = 3
3. |0| = 0
4. If |𝑥| = 10, then 𝑥 = ± − 10

2. The distance between two real numbers 𝑎 and 𝑏 on a real number line is given by |𝑎 − 𝑏| or |𝑏 − 𝑎| (it can
be compared to counting the number of units from a to b, or b to a).
Example: Let 𝐴(−5) and 𝐵(4) be points on the same number line. Find the distance between 𝐴
and 𝐵.
𝑎 = −5 and 𝑏 = 4
̅̅̅̅ | = |𝑎 − 𝑏| = |−5 − 4| = |−9| = 9
|𝐴𝐵
3. Intervals
Let 𝑎 and 𝑏 be real numbers such that 𝑎 < 𝑏.
a. The open interval (𝑎, 𝑏) consists of real numbers between 𝑎 and 𝑏.
Equivalently, (𝑎, 𝑏) = {𝑥 ∈ 𝑅|𝑎 < 𝑥 < 𝑏}.
Example: (4,8) = {𝑥 ∈ 𝑅|4 < 𝑥 < 8}

a. The closed interval [𝑎, 𝑏] consists of real numbers between 𝑎 and 𝑏 and including a and b.
Equivalently, [𝑎, 𝑏] = {𝑥 ∈ 𝑅|𝑎 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝑏}.
Example: [−3,2] = {𝑥 ∈ 𝑅|−3 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 2}

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 b. Other types of intervals

Example
[5, ∞) = {𝑥 ∈ 𝑅|𝑥 ≥ 5}

Activity 1
A. .

B. Make your own examples of the seven other types of intervals (see table above). Show the interval
notation, inequality, and corresponding graph on the number line.
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4. The Cartesian Coordinate Plane
a. The horizontal line is called the x-axis while the vertical line is called the 𝑦 −axis.
b. The intersection of these lines is called the origin.
c. To each point on the plane, we associate an ordered pair (𝑥, 𝑦) of real numbers where 𝑥 is the
directed distance of the point from the 𝑦 −axis and 𝑦 is the directed distance of the point from
the 𝑥 −axis.
d. The point associated to the ordered pair (𝑥, 𝑦) lies
✓ To the right of the 𝑦 −axis if 𝑥 > 0
✓ To the left of the 𝑦 −axis if 𝑥 < 0
✓ On the 𝑦 −axis if 𝑥 = 0
✓ Above the 𝑥 −axis if 𝑦 > 0
✓ Below the 𝑥 −axis if 𝑦 < 0
e. The number 𝑥 in the ordered pair (𝑥, 𝑦) is called the abscissa while the number 𝑦 is called
the ordinate of the point. The abscissa and the ordinate of the point are called the
rectangular/cartesian coordinates of the point.
f. The 𝑥 −axis and the 𝑦 −axis are called coordinate axes, and they divide the plane into four
parts called quadrants.

𝑥 < 0; 𝑦 > 0 𝑥 > 0; 𝑦 > 0

𝑥 < 0; 𝑦 < 0 𝑥 > 0; 𝑦 < 0

5. The distance 𝑑(P, Q) between two points P(𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) and Q(𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ) on the same plane is given by the formula
𝑑 = √(𝑥2 − 𝑥1 )2 + (𝑦2 − 𝑦1 )2 . The distance between points P and Q can also be denoted by |𝑃𝑄 ̅̅̅̅ |.

Examples:
1. Find the distance between P(−2,4) and Q(1,8).
2. Find the length of the segment whose endpoints are P(−2,4) and Q(1,8).
3. If the distance between P(2, −3) and Q(𝑥, −6) is 5. Find the value/s of 𝑥.
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 6. The midpoint M of the line segment joining the points P(𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) and Q(𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ) has coordinates
𝑥1 +𝑥2 𝑦1 +𝑦2
(𝑥 = ,𝑦 = ).
2 2

Examples:
1. Find the midpoint of the line segment whose endpoints are P(−2,4) and Q(1,8).
2. If (2, −1) is the midpoint of the line segment whose endpoints are (−1,3) and (𝑎, 𝑏), find a and
b.

Activity 2
1. Find the distance between the points A(4,11) and B(−8,3).
2. Find the value of 𝑦 so that the distance between the points A(−3,5) and C(1, 𝑦) is 5.
3. Find the midpoint of the line segment formed by the points A(4,11) and B(8,3).
4. If (2,1) and (−5,0) are endpoints of a diameter of a circle, find the center and the radius of the circle.

𝑦2 −𝑦1
7. The slope m of the line joining two points P(𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) and Q(𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ) is given by 𝑚 = .
𝑥2 −𝑥1
Note:
❖ The slope of a vertical line is undefined.
❖ The slope of a horizontal line is zero.
❖ The slope of a line if it exists, is unique. This means that it doesn’t matter which pair of points
on the line you consider in finding the slope.
Examples
1. Find the slope of the line passing through the points (−1, −3) and (2,0).
2. The slope of a line is 2 and it passes through (−1,4). What is the ordinate of the point on the line
when 𝑥 = 0?
8. Two non-vertical lines 𝐿1 and 𝐿2 are said to be parallel if and only if their slopes are equal.
9. Two non-vertical lines 𝐿1 and 𝐿2 are said to be perpendicular if and only if the product of their slopes is
negative 1.
10. Collinear points are points that lie on the same straight line. Three (or more) points are collinear if the
slope of any two pairs of points is the same.
Example: Determine whether the points A(−2, −1), B(0,0), and C(2,1) are collinear or not.

Activity 3
1. Find the slope of the line joining A(4,11), and B(−8,3).
2. If the slope of the line joining B(3,4), and C(2, 𝑏) is 6, find the value of b.
3. Use slopes to show that A(2,1), B(−1,2), and C(5,0) are collinear.

11. Equations of a Line

a. General equation of a line
✓ 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶 = 0; A, B, and C are constants and not both A and B are zero
✓ Note that a point lies on the line if and only if its coordinates satisfy the equation of the line.
−3
Example: Determine if the points (0,0) and ( , 2) lie on the line given by 2𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 3 = 0.
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b. Two-point form equation of a line

✓ Let P(𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) and Q(𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ) be points on Line L, the two-point form equation of this line is given
𝑦2 −𝑦1
by 𝑦 − 𝑦1 = ( ) (𝑥 − 𝑥1 ).
𝑥2 −𝑥1
Example: Find the two-point form equation of a line which passes through (2, −1) and (−1, −3).

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 c. Intercept form equation of a line
✓ Suppose a and b are the x-intercept and y-intercept, respectively, of a line such that 𝑎 ≠ 0
and 𝑏 ≠ 0. Then the line passes through (𝑎, 0) and (0, 𝑏). From the two-point form equation
and letting (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) = (0, 𝑏) and (𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ) = (𝑎, 0), we have
0−𝑏 −𝑏 −𝑏
𝑦−𝑏 = ( ) (𝑥 − 0) 𝑦−𝑏 = 𝑥 or 𝑦 = 𝑥+𝑏
𝑎−0 𝑎 𝑎
𝑥 𝑦
✓ Equivalently, we have + = 1.
𝑎 𝑏
Example: Find the intercept form equation of the line passing through (3,0) and (0,4).
d. Point-slope form equation of a line
✓ Let P(𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) be a known point on a line L with slope m. Then, the point-slope form equation
of the line is given by 𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑚(𝑥 − 𝑥1 ).
Example: Find the point-slope form of the equation of the line passing through (−1, −3) and (2, −1).
e. Slope-intercept form equation of a line
✓ Let m be the slope of a line whose 𝑦 −intercept is b. The slope-intercept form equation of this
line is 𝑦 − 𝑏 = 𝑚(𝑥 − 0) or 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑏.
Examples:
1. Find the slope-intercept form equation of the line passing through (1,1) and (−2, −8).
2. Find the slope of the line whose equation is given by 𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 6 = 0.

12. Distance between a line and a point

✓ The distance from a point (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) to a line L with equation 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶 = 0 is given by
|𝐴𝑥1 + 𝐵𝑦1 + 𝐶|
𝑑=
√𝐴2 + 𝐵2
Examples:
4𝑥
1. Find the distance of the point (5,1) from the line given by 𝑦 = + 5.
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2. Find the value/s of k so that the distance of the point (5, −3) from the line given by
3𝑥 + 4𝑦 + 𝑘 = 0 is 4.

Activity 4
A. Find the general equation of the line satisfying the given properties.
1. Passing through 𝐴(4,5) and 𝐵(−6, −11)
2. With a slope of −2 and passing through 𝐵(−1,4)
3. Passing through (9,2) and has equal intercepts
4. With 𝑦 −intercept equal to 8 and perpendicular to the line given by 2𝑥 + 𝑦 − 10 = 0
5. Passing through 𝐴(2, −3) and parallel to the y-axis

B. Find the distance of the point (2,3) from the line given by 3𝑥 + 4𝑦 − 7 = 0.