Lines in the Plane

Read this section and work through practice problems 1-9.

Practice Answers

Practice 1: Length = Dist( –7, –2 ) = | (–7) – (–2) | = | –5 | = 5.

The midpoint is at \dfrac{(–7) + (–2)}{2}    =\dfrac{–9}{2}     = – 4.5.


Practice 2: Dist(P,Q)
    = Dist(P,r) so \sqrt{(x – 1)^2  + (y + 4)^2}    = \sqrt{(x – 0)^2  + (y + 3)^2}.

Squaring each side and simplifying, we eventually have y = x – 4 .


Practice 3: The point P = ( x , y) is on the circle when it is 5 units from the center C = ( –2, 6) so Dist(P,C) = 5. Then Dist( (x,y) , (–2,6) ) = 5 so

\sqrt{(x + 2)^2 + (y – 6)^2}     = 5 or (x + 2)^2 + (y – 6)^2  =  25.


Practice 4: ∆x = 5 – (–3) = 8, ∆y = –14 – 2 = –16 , and slope = \dfrac{∆y}{∆x}
      =  \dfrac{–16}{8}     = – 2.


Practice 5: slope =\dfrac{∆y}{∆x}   = \dfrac{ (–3 + 5h) – (–3)}{(2 + h) – 2}  = \dfrac{5h}{h}     =  5.

The midpoint is at ( \dfrac{ (2) + (2 + h)}{2}    , \dfrac{(–3 + 5h) + (–3)}{2}     )  =  (  2 +\dfrac{h}{2}   ,  –3 + \dfrac{5h}{2}).


Practice 6: slope =\dfrac{∆y}{∆x}
       =   \dfrac{(3a^2 + 5a) – (3x^2 + 5x)}{a – x}

 =  \dfrac{ 3(a^2 – x^2) + 5(a – x)}{a – x}     = \dfrac{3(a + x)(a – x) + 5(a – x)}{a – x}    =  3(a + x) + 5.


Practice 7: Let y_1 = mx_1 + b and y_2 = mx_2
    + b . Then

slope =\dfrac{∆y}{∆x}     =  \dfrac{(mx_2 + b) – (mx_1 + b)}{x_2 – x_1}    =  \dfrac{m(x_2 – x_1)}{x_2 – x_1 }    =  m.


Practice 8: The line 3x + 5y = 17 has slope \dfrac{–3}{5} so the slope of the parallel line is m = \dfrac{–3}{5}.

Using the form y = \dfrac{–3}{5}   x + b and the point ( –2, 3) on the line, we have

3 = \dfrac{–3}{5}  (–2)  + b so b = \dfrac{9}{5} and

y = \dfrac{–3}{5}   x +  \dfrac{9}{5} or 5y + 3x  =  9 ..


Practice 9: The line 3y – 7x = 2 has slope \dfrac{7}{3} so the slope of the perpendicular line is m= \dfrac{–3}{7}.

Using the form y =  \dfrac{–3}{7}  x + b and the point ( 2, –5) on the line, we have  –5 =\dfrac{–3}{7}  (2)  + b so  b = \dfrac{–29}{7} and   y =\dfrac{–3}{7}
    x + \dfrac{–29}{7} or 7y + 3x  =  –29 .