Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Your notes

Maths: Extended
Linear Graphs
Contents
Equations of Straight Lines (y = mx + c)
Drawing Straight Line Graphs
Parallel Lines
Perpendicular Lines

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 Equations of Straight Lines (y = mx + c)
Your notes
Finding Equations of Straight Lines
What is 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-intercept
The value where it cuts the y-axis
y = 5x + 2 is a straight line with
gradient 5
y-intercept 2
y = 3 - 4x is a straight line with
gradient -4
y-intercept 3

How do I find the equation of a straight line from a

graph?
Find the gradient by drawing a triangle and using

rise
gradient =
run
Positive for uphill lines, negative for downhill
Read off the y-intercept from the graph
Where it cuts the y-axis
Substitute these values into y = mx + c

What if no y-intercept is shown?

If you can't read off the y-intercept
find any point on the line
substitute it into the equation
solve to find c
For example, a line with gradient 6 passes through (2, 15)
The y-intercept is unknown

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 Write y = 6x + c
Substitute in x = 2 and y = 15
Your notes
15 = 6 × 2 + c
15 = 12 + c
Solve for c
c =3
The equation is y = 6x + 3
What are the equations of horizontal and vertical lines?
A horizontal line has the equation y = c
c is the y-intercept
A vertical line has the equation x = k
k is the x-intercept
For example
y=4
x = -2

Worked Example
(a) Find the equation of the straight line shown in the diagram below.

Find m, the gradient

Identify any two points the line passes through and work out the rise and run
Line passes through (2, 4) and (10, 0)

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 Your notes

The rise is 4
The run is 8

rise
Calculate the fraction
run
rise 4 1
=
run 8
=2
The slope is downward (downhill), so it is a negative gradient

1
gradient, m =− 2
Now find the y-intercept
The line cuts the y-axis at 5

y-intercept, c = 5
Substitute the gradient, m, and the y-intercept, c, into y = mx + c

1
y=− x +5
2
(b) Find the equation of the straight line with a gradient of 3 that passes through the
point (5, 4).
Substitute m = 3 into y = mx + c
Leave c as an unknown letter

y = 3x + c
Substitute x = 5 and y = 4 into the equation
Solve the equation to find c

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 4=3×5+c
4 = 15 + c Your notes
− 11 = c
You now know c
Replace c with −11 to complete the equation of the line
y = 3x − 11

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 Drawing Straight Line Graphs
Your notes
Drawing Linear Graphs
How do I draw a straight line from a table of values?
You may be given a table of values with no equation
Use the x and y values to form a point with coordinates (x, y)
Then plot these points
Use a ruler to draw a straight line through them
All points should lie on the line
For example
The points below are (-3, 0), (-2, 2), ... etc

x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

y 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

How do I draw a straight line using y = mx + c?

Use the equation to create your own table of values
Choose points that are spread out across the axes given
For example, plot y = 2x + 1 on axes from x = 0 to x = 10
Substitute in x = 0, x = 5 and x = 10 to get y coordinates
Then plot those points

x 0 5 10

y 1 11 21

How do I draw a straight line without using a table of

values?
Assuming the equation is in the form y = mx + c
Start at the y-intercept, c
Then, for every 1 unit to the right, go up m units
m is the gradient

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 If m is negative, go down
If m is a fraction, remember that gradient is change in y divided by change in x Your notes
a
A gradient of would be a units up for every b units right
b
This creates a sequence of points which you can then join up
Be careful of counting squares if axes have different scales
1 unit might not be 1 square
What if the equation is not in the form y = mx + c?
Equations will not always be presented in the form y = mx + c
Rearranging to y = mx + c will make plotting these graphs easier

Consider the equation 3x + 5y = 30

Subtract 3x from both sides

5y = − 3x + 30
Divide both sides by 5

3
y=− x +6
5
3
It can now be seen that the gradient is − 5 and the y-intercept is 6
Make sure you only have 1 y on one side, rather than say, 5y

How can I plot equations in the form ax + by = c?

Instead of rearranging, equations in the form ax + by = c, like the example above, can
also be plotted by considering the x and y intercepts instead
Substitute in x = 0 to find the y-intercept
Substitute in y = 0 to find the x-intercept

+ 5y = 30
E.g. for 3x

When x = 0 , 5y = 30 , so y = 6

When y = 0 , 3x = 30 , so x = 10

The points (0, 6) and (10, 0) can then be plotted and joined with a straight line

Examiner Tips and Tricks

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 Always plot at least 3 points (just in case one of your end points is wrong!)

Your notes

Worked Example
y +1 3
On the same set of axes, draw the graphs of
3
= x and y = − 5 x + 3 .
y +1
Rearrange
3
= x into the form y = mx + c to make it easier to plot
y +1
3
=x
y + 1 = 3x
y = 3x − 1
For y = 3x − 1, create a table of values
x 0 1 2

y -1 2 5

Plot the points (0, -1), (1, 2) and (2, 5)

Connect with a straight line
Alternatively, start at the y-intercept (0, -1) and mark the next points 3 units up for
every 1 unit to the right

3
For y = − 5 x + 3, create a table of values
Because of the fraction, x = 5 is a good point to include

x 0 3 5

y 3 1.2 0

Plot the points (0, 3), (3, 1.2) and (5, 0)

Connect with a straight line
Alternatively, start at the y-intercept (0, 3) and mark the next points 3 units down for
every 5 units to the right

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 Your notes

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 Parallel Lines
Your notes
Parallel Lines
What are parallel lines?
Parallel lines are straight lines with the same gradient
Two parallel lines will never meet
They just stay side-by-side forever
The equation of the line parallel to y = mx + c is y = mx + d

y = 2x + 1 and y = 2x + 5 are parallel

y = 2x + 1 and y = 3x + 1 are not parallel
How do I find the equation of a parallel line?
For example, to find the equation of the line parallel to y = 2x + 1 which passes through
the point (3, 14)
write the parallel line as y = 2x + d
using the same gradient of 2
substitute x = 3 and y = 14 into this equation
14 = 2 × 3 + d
14 = 6 + d
solve to find d
d =8
The equation is y = 2x + 8

Worked Example
Find the equation of the line that passes through the point (2, 1), which is parallel to the
= +
straight line y 3x 7 .

Parallel means the gradient will be the same

Use y = mx + d where m = 3

y = 3x + d
Substitute in x = 2 and y = 1

1=3×2+d

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Simplify the equation

1=6+d Your notes

Solve the equation to find d (by subtracting 6 from both sides)

−5 = d
Write out the final answer in the form y = mx + d

y = 3x − 5

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 Perpendicular Lines
Your notes
Perpendicular Lines
What are perpendicular lines?
Perpendicular lines are straight lines which meet at right-angles (90°)
One line may be referred to as a normal to the other line

How are the gradients of perpendicular lines related?

Gradients m1 and m2 are perpendicular if m1 × m2 = −1
For example
1 and −1

1
and -3
3
2 3
− 3 and 2
The two gradients are negative reciprocals of one another

1
We can use m
2
=− m to find a perpendicular gradient
1

How can I tell if two lines are perpendicular?

=
Given two lines in the form y mx + c , simply check if their gradients ( m are
)

negative reciprocals of one another

1
y= x + 10 and y = − 3x − 18 are perpendicular
3
1
y= x + 16 and y = 7x − 8 are not perpendicular
7
One or both of the equations may not be written in the form y= mx + c
In this case, you should rearrange both equations into the form y = mx + c

Their gradients can then be easily compared

How do I find the equation of a line perpendicular to

another?
You need to be able to find the equation of line that passes through a particular point
and is perpendicular to another line

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 = +
E.g. 5y 4x 30 which passes through the point (8, 3)
= +
Rearrange the equation into the form y mx c so that its gradient can be identified
Your notes
more easily

4
y= x +6
5
Find the gradient of the perpendicular line

4
The gradient of the original line is
5
5
Therefore the gradient of the perpendicular line is −4
5
The perpendicular line has an equation in the form y = − 4 x+c
Substitute the given point into the equation for the perpendicular and solve for c

5
Substitute (8, 3), into y = − 4 x+c
5
3= − 8 +c
4
( )

c = 13
Substitute the value of c to find the equation of the perpendicular

5
The equation of the perpendicular line is y = − 4 x + 13
This could also be written as 4y = − 5x + 52 or equivalent

Worked Example
The line L has equation y − 2x + 2 = 0 .
Find the 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.
Rearrange L into the form y = mx + c so we can identify the gradient

y − 2x + 2 = 0
y = 2x − 2

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 Gradient of L is 2
The gradient of the line perpendicular to L will be the negative reciprocal of 2 Your notes
1
m= −
2
1
Substitute the point 2( , −3 ) into the equation y = − 2 x+c
Solve for c

1
y=− x+c
2
1
−3= − 2 2 +c ( )

−3= −1+c
c= −2
Write the full equation of the line

1
y=− x −2
2
The question asks for the line to be written in the form ax + by + c = 0 where a , b
and c are integers

Move all the terms to the left hand side

1
x +y +2=0
2
Then multiply every term by 2, to ensure they are all integers

x + 2y + 4 = 0
How do I find the equation of a perpendicular bisector?
A perpendicular bisector of a line segment cuts the line segment in half at a right angle
Finding the equation of the perpendicular bisector of a line segment is very similar to
finding the equation of a any perpendicular
Find the coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment
The perpendicular bisector will pass through this point
Find the gradient of the line segment
Then find the negative reciprocal of this gradient

This will be the gradient of the perpendicular bisector, m

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 Write the equation of the perpendicular bisector in the form y = mx + c
Substitute the midpoint of the line segment into the equation of the perpendicular Your notes
bisector

Solve to find c

Write the full equation of the perpendicular bisector in the form y = mx + c

Rearrange the equation if the question requires a different form

Worked Example
Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the line segment joining the points
(4, -6) and (8, 6).
Find the coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment
The perpendicular bisector will pass through this point

4+8 −6 + 6
⎛
⎜
⎜
2
, 2
⎞
⎟
⎟ = 6, 0
( )

⎝ ⎠

Find the gradient of the line segment

−6 − 6 −12
4−8
= −4 = 3
Find the negative reciprocal of this
This will be the gradient of the perpendicular bisector, m

1
m= −
3
Write the equation of the perpendicular bisector in the form y = mx + c
1
y=− x+c
3
Substitute in the midpoint (6, 0) and solve to find c

1
0= − 6 +c
3
( )

0= −2+c
c=2
Write the full equation of the perpendicular bisector

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 y = − 13 x + 2
Your notes

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