QUESTION 25 Edexcel 9-1 GCSE Maths Specimen Paper 1

A(-2,1), B(6,5) and C(4,k) are the vertices of a right-angled triangle ABC.
Angle ABC is the right-angle.

Find an equation of the line that passes through A and C.

Give your answer in the form ay + bx = c where a, b and c are integers.

SOLUTION
Gradient of the line AB:
51 4 1
mAB = = =
6 2 8 2
Since BC is perpendicular to AB then their gradients must be negative recip-
rocals of each other:
1
mBC = = 2
mAB
So using y = mx + c to find the equation of BC, given m = 2 and we know
B(6,5) lies on this line:
y = 2x + c
5 = 2(6) + c
5 = 12 + c
c = 17
Therefore the equation of BC is y = 2x + 17.

We know C also lies on this line. C has an x-coordinate of 4 and a y-coordinate

of k, so substituting in to y = 2x + 17 to find k:

k = 2(4) + 17

k = 8 + 17
k=9
So C has coordinates (4,9).

Now to find the equation of AC, given we now know A(-2,1) and C(4,9), we
first need to find the gradient:
91 8 4
mAC = = =
4 2 6 3
 4
So using y = mx + c to find the equation of AC, given m = 3 and A(-2,1) lies
on this line (although we could equally use the point C):
4
y= x+c
3
4
1= (2) + c
3
8
1= +c
3
8
1+ =c
3
3 8
+ =c
3 3
11
c=
3
Therefore the equation of AC is y = 43 x + 11
3 .

However, we asked to leave it in the form ay+bx = c where a, b and c are integers,
so by firstly multiplying by 3 to get rid of fractions and then rearranging:
4 11
y= x+
3 3
3y = 4x + 11
3y 4x = 11
As required.