Essential Mathematics for Economics and Business, 4 th Edition

CHAPTER 2 : PROPERTIES OF STRAIGHT LINES.

John Wiley and Sons 2013

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 Measure Slope and Intercept Figures 2.4.
Different lines with (i) same slopes, (ii) same intercept..
How to draw a line, given slope and intercept. Worked Example
2.1 Figure 2.6
What is the equation of a line ?
Write down the equation of a line, given its slope and intercept,
Worked Example 2.2,
Given the equation of a line, write down the slope and intercept
Plot a line by joining the horizontal and vertical intercepts.
Equations of horizontal and vertical lines, Figure 2.10

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 Measuring Intercept
The point at which a line crosses the vertical axis is referred as the Intercept

intercept = 2 3
2

1
intercept = 0
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
-1

-2
-3
intercept = - 3 -4

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 Measuring Slope
change in height y
Slope
change in distance x
4
B
C 3 yLine AB by
increases
0.5 when x 2
A 2
4
2 slope =by 1. 0.5
increases
1 4
-6 0
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
-1

-2 yLine CD by
decreases
5
D 1.2 when x 6
-3 slope = 1.2
increases by
5 1.
-4

-5

-6
Figure 2.4
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 Slope alone does not define a line
Intercept alone does not define a line

Lines with same Lines with same slope

intercept but different but different intercepts
slopes are different lines are different lines
-2
5
-3
4
7
-4
6 3
Intercept = 2

5 2
1 Figure 2.2
4
3 0
x -4 -3 -4-2 -1-3 0 -2 1 -1
2 3 40
2
y-1 -1 0 1 2
1 y
-2 -2 -1 0 1
y -3 -2 -1 0
0
y-3 -5 -4 -3
-1 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
-4
-2
-3
-5
-6

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 A line is uniquely defined by
both slope and intercept
In mathematics, the
vertical intercept is
referred to by the letter c
In mathematics, the slope
of a line is referred to by
the letter m

Intercept, c = 2 4

slope, m = 1
2

0
-1 0 1 2 3 4

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 Draw the line, given slope, m =1: intercept, c = 2
Worked Example 2.1(b)

1. Plot a point at intercept = The graph of the line whose

2 intercept = 2, slope = 1
2. From the intercept draw a
line with slope = 1 by
(a) moving horizontally 6

forward by one unit and 5

4
(b) vertically upwards by (1, 3)
3
one unit (0, 2)
2
3. Extend this line indefinitely
in either direction, as 1

required 0
-1 0 1 2 3 4

Figure 2.6 x

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 What does the equation of a line mean?

Consider the equation y = x

From the equation, calculate the values of y for
x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
The calculated points are given in the following table.
x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Plot the points as follows

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Plot the point x = 0, y = 0

4
y

(0, 0)
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 x

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Plot the point x = 1, y = 1

5
y

(1, 1)
1

(0, 0)
0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Plot the point x = 2, y = 2

5
y

(2, 2)
2

(1, 1)
1

(0, 0)
0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Plot the point x = 3, y = 3

5
y

(3, 3)
3

(2, 2)
2

(1, 1)
1

(0, 0)
0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Plot the point x = 4, y = 4

4 (4, 4)

(3, 3)
3
y

(2, 2)
2

(1, 1)
1

(0, 0)
0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Plot the point x = 5, y = 5

(5, 5)
5
y

4 (4, 4)

(3, 3)
3

(2, 2)
2

(1, 1)
1

(0, 0)
0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Plot the point x = 6, y = 6

6 (6, 6)

(5, 5)
5
y

4 (4, 4)

(3, 3)
3

(2, 2)
2

(1, 1)
1

(0, 0)
0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Join the plotted points

6 (6, 6)

(5, 5)
5

4 (4, 4)

(3, 3)
3
y

(2, 2)
2

(1, 1)
1

(0, 0)
0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

The y co-ordinate = x co-ordinate, for every point on the line:

6 (6, 6)

(5, 5)
5
y

4 (4, 4)

(3, 3)
3

(2, 2)
2

(1, 1)
1

(0, 0)
0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Figure 2.9 The 45o line, through the origin

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 x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

y = x is the equation of the line.

6 (6, 6)

(5, 5)
5
y

4 (4, 4)

(3, 3)
3

(2, 2)
2

(1, 1)
1

Similar to 0
(0, 0)
x
Figure 2.9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 Deduce the equation of the line, given
slope, m = 1; intercept, c = 2
1. Start by plotting at least 2 points.
Then observe the relationship between
the x and y coordinate 6
2. Plot the intercept: x = 0, y = 2 (c y
=2) 5

3. Since slope = 1, move forward 4

(2, 4)

1unit then up 1 unit. See Figure 2.6

3 (1, 3)
This gives the point (x = 1, y = 3)
(0, 2)
4. Map out further points, (2, 4) etc. in 2
this way
1
5. Observe that value of the y co-ordinate
is always value of the x co-ordinate +2 0
x
-1 0 1 2 3 4
Hence the equation of the line is y = x+ 2
6. That is, y = (1)x + (2), with m =1, c
=2
In general, y = mx + c
is the equation of a line Figure 2.6

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 Deduce the equation of the line, given
slope, m = 1; intercept, c = 2
Use Formula y = mx + c
6
y

Since m = 1, c = 2 5

4
then (2, 4)
3
y = mx + c (1, 3 )
2
(0, 2)

y =(1)x + 2 0 x
-1 0 1 2 3 4
y = x+2
Figure 2.6
See Figure 2.6

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 The equation of a line
The equation of a line may be written in terms of the two characteristics:
m (slope) and c (intercept) . y = mx + c
Putting it another way: Example 1.
the equation of a line may y=x
be described as The y co-ordinate is equal to the
x co-ordinate.
the formula that allows you Slope, m = 1, intercept , c = 0.
to calculate the y co- Example 2.
ordinate
y=x+2
when given the value of
the x co-ordinate The y co-ordinate is equal to the
for any point on the line x co-ordinate plus 2.
Slope, m = 1 , intercept, c = 2

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Calculating the Horizontal Intercepts
Calculate the horizontal Line: y = mx + c
intercept for the line: y = mx + c
(m > 0: c > 0)
The horizontal intercept is the
point where the line crosses the x -
axis
Use the fact that the y co-ordinate Intercept =c
y = mx + c
is zero at every point on the x-axis.
Substitute y = 0 into the equation Slope = m

of the line
0 = mx + c
0, 0
and solve for x:
Horizontal intercept = - c/m
0 = mx + c: therefore, x = -c/m
This is the formula for the
horizontal intercept

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 Determine the slope and intercepts for a line when
the equation is given in the form: ax + by +d = 0

Rearrange the equation into Example:4x + 2y - 8 = 0

the form y = mx + c.
4x 2 y 8 0
ax by d 0
2 y 8 4x
by d ax
y 4 2x
d a
y x
b b
a Slope, m = -2: intercept, c = 4
Read off slope, m =
b d
Read off intercept, c = ( 4) 4
b Horizontal intercept = 2 2
2

d
Horizontal intercept =
a

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 Plot the line 4x+2y - 8 = 0 by calculating the
horizontal and vertical intercepts:
4x+2y - 8 = 0
Rearrange the equation into the 7

form y = mx + c 6
5
y = -2x + 4 y = -2x +4
y=4 4
3

Vertical intercept at y = 4 2
1
4
0
-1 0 1 2 3 4
Horizontal intercept at x = 2 -1
-2
x=2
-3
Plot these points: see Figure 2.12
Draw the line thro the points
Figure 2.12

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 Equations of Horizontal and vertical lines:

The equation of a horizontal is given by the point of intersection

with the y-axis
The equation of a vertical line is given by the point of intersection
with the x -axis

y
6
y=4
5
4
3
x = - 1.5
2
x=2

1
0 x
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
-1
-2

y = -3
-2
-4

Figure 2.10
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