WOLMER’S BOYS’ SCHOOL

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

Date: September 16, 2020

Topic: Coordinate Geometry

OBJECTIVES: By completing this lesson, you MUST be able to:

a. plot points on the Cartesian graph
b. find the midpoint of a line segment (mid-point formula)
c. identify the x-intercept and the y-intercept of a straight line (using the graph)

MOTIVATION: “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing – that’s
why we recommend it daily” –Zig Ziglar

 COORDINATES:
‘Coordinates’ are pairs of numbers that describe a position on a rectangular grid.
In order words, it tells the specific location of a point with its distance measured from the
origin which is the exact center of the Cartesian plane. The point is located at (0,0)

In a given coordinate, the first number tells the horizontally distance from the origin (x-axis)
and the second number tells the vertically distance also from the origin (y-axis)

Example 1: On the graph below the point is located at (4,3)

4  four units to the right
3  three units up
 Example 2: On the graph below there are three points
(2,5) (3.8) (6,1)

Example 3: State the coordinates of each points in the diagram below

The Cartesian plane is made of both positive and

negative numbers as shown in the illustration
to the right.

The negative numbers can be found to left

of the origin (on the x-axis) and to the
south of the origin (on the y-axis).
Example 4: The positions of some of the tors on Dartmoor in the south west of England are
marked on the grid below

1. State the coordinate of the following tors:

a. West Mill Tor
b. Steeperton Tor
c. Shelston Tor
d. Blank Tor
e. Dinger Tor

2. A boy and his dog are walking from Oke Tor to Kitty Tor.
Write the coordinates of the point where they start and the point where they finish

3. Sourton Tor is the tor that is the farthest west on this grid.
What are the coordinates of this tor?

4. Higher Tor is the tor that is farthest north.

What are the coordinates of this tor?
 STRAIGHT LINES:

Plotting straight lines

Every line follows a unique formula/relationship (this is referred as the ‘equation of the
line’). When given ‘x’ and ‘y’ coordinates are substituted into a paticular equation, if the
equation balances, then this coordinate falls on the straight line.

Example1: Using the equation 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 2,

a. determine the respective ‘y’ values for each of the ‘x’ coordinates below
(4 , ?) (1 , ?) (-1 , ?)

b. plot the coordinates and draw a straight line through each of these points

[solutions] 𝑦 = 𝑥 −2

a. First point (4 , ?). What is the value of y when x = 4

𝑦 = 𝑥 −2
𝑦 = (4) − 2
𝑦 = 2
Therefore the first coordinate is (4 , 2)

Second point (1 , ?). What is the value of y when x = 1

𝑦 = 𝑥 −2
𝑦 = (1) − 2
𝑦 = −1
Therefore the second coordinate is (1 , -1)

Third point (-1 , ?). What is the value of y when x = -1

𝑦 = 𝑥 −2
𝑦 = (−1) − 2
𝑦 = −3
Therefore the third coordinate is (-1 , -3)

b. Plot the points and draw the straight line through them
Example2: Using the equation 𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 1,

a. determine the respective ‘y’ values for each of the ‘x’ coordinates below
(4 , ?) (2 , ?) (-2 , ?)

b. plot the coordinates and draw a straight line through each of these points

[solutions] 𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 1

1. First point (4 , ?). What is the value of y when x = 4

𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 1
𝑦 = 2(4) − 1
𝑦 = 7
Therefore the first coordinate is (4 , 7)

Second point (2 , ?). What is the value of y when x = 2

𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 1
𝑦 = 2(2) − 1
𝑦 = 3
Therefore the second coordinate is (2 , 3)

Second point (-2 , ?). What is the value of y when x = -2

𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 1
𝑦 = 2(−2) − 1
𝑦 = −5
Therefore the third coordinate is (-2 , -5)

2. Plot the points and draw the straight line through them
EXERCISE #1

1. Using the equation 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 2,

a. determine the respective ‘y’ values for each of the ‘x’ coordinates below
(4 , ?) (1 , ?) (-3 , ?)

b. draw a set of axes with x-values from -3 to 4 and y-values from -1 to 6

c. plot the coordinates found in part a above. Draw a line to connect all points
d. Wriite down the coordinates of the point where the line crosses the y-axis

2. Using the equation 𝑦 = 2𝑥 + 1,

a. determine the respective ‘y’ values for each of the ‘x’ coordinates below
(3 , ?) (1 , ?) (-2 , ?)

b. draw a set of axes with x-values from -2 to 3 and y-values from -3 to 7

c. plot the coordinates found in part a above. Draw a line to connect all points
d. determine (using your graph) if the line passes through the point (2,5).
Additionally, substitute this coordinate in the equation and determine whether or not the
equation balances.

3. Using the equation 𝑦 = 3𝑥 − 2,

a. determine the respective ‘y’ values for each of the ‘x’ coordinates below
(3 , ?) (0 , ?) (-2 , ?)

b. plot the coordinates found in part a above. Draw a line to connect all points
c. Write down the coordinates of two other points on the line.
Check that they satisfy the relationship 𝑦 = 3𝑥 − 2
d. Does the poinr (2,5) lie on the line?
Check if this coordinate satisfies the equation 𝑦 = 3𝑥 − 2
 Mid-Point of Straight Lines
The coordinates of the mid-point between two other points may be found by
drawing or by calculation. Consider the line segment that joins the point A (2, 2) and the
point B (6, 8). The mid-point of the line segment AB is shown in the diagram below.

The value of the x-coordinate of the mid-point of the line segment AB is the mean

value of the two x-coordinates of the end points A and B.

Similarly for the y-coordinate of the mid-point, it is the mean of the y-coordinates

of the end points A and B.

Finding the mid-point by formula

𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑥−𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑦−𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠

mid-point =( , )
2 2

2+ 6 2+ 8
=( , )
2 2

= (4 , 5)
EXERCISE #2

1. The diagram shows the points A, B, C and D

Find the coordimates of the mid-point of the line segment:

(a) AB (b) AC (c) BD

2. The diagram shows the points A, B, C, D and E.

Find the coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment:

a. AB c. AD e. BE g. DE

b. AC d. AE f. CD h. CE
3. (a) Draw a set of axes and mark on them the points A (1,4) and B (7,6)

(b) Draw the line segment AB and write down its mid-point.

(c) Use the formula and determine if you obtain the same coordinate for the mid-point.

4. Determine the coordinates of the mid-point of the line segment joining the two

points given in each case.

(a) (4, 7) (8, 11) (b) (6, 2) (18, 8)

(c) (3, 2) (9, 4) (d) (6, 3) (10, 11)

(e) (4, 1) (3, 4) (f) (6, 6) (1, 7)

(g) (2, 15) (13, 2) (h) (24, 2) (13, 3)

5. The points A, B and C have coordinates (4, 2, 1), (6, 10, 7) and (4, 8, 11).

a. Determine the coordinates of the mid-points of AB and AC.

b. The mid-point of AB is joined to the mid-point of AC by a line segment.

Determine the coordinates of the mid-point of this line segment.

If you have any queries/comments, please reach out to me at

[email protected] OR [email protected]