Equations of Straight Line Graphs
Complete the table for
the equations.
Plot the coordinates
y
When the table is completed
y=x 10
9
x -2 -1 0 1 2 8
7
y -2 -1 0 1 2 6 x
y = x +1 5
x
4 x
x -2 -1 0 1 2 3
x x
x2 x
y 1 0 1 2 3 1x x x
-
x
-3 -2 -1x 0
x1 2 3 4 x
y=x+3 -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4
x -1 x
5 6 7 8 9 10
x -2x
x -2 -1 0 1 2 x x-3
y 1 2 3 4 5 -4
x
y=x-2 -5
-6
-7
x -2 -1 0 1 2 -8
y -
4 -
3 -
2 -
1 0 -9
-10
What do you notice about these straight lines?
y
y=x 10
9
y=x+1 8
y=x+3 7
6 x
y=x-2 5
4 x x
x x
They are parallel to each
3
x2 x
other 1x x x
xx1 2 3 4
-3x -2 -1 0 x
i.e. they have the same-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4
x -1 x
5 6 7 8 9 10
gradient x -2x
x x-3
-4
The number added/subtracted x -5
to x is where the line -6
-7
crosses the y axis. -8
-9
-10
What have we noticed?
y=x+3
y
What have you noticed about the number
at the end of
10 y=x+1
9
the equation…. 8 y=x
7
6
y=x-2
The number at the 5
end gives us the 4
3
2
‘y-intercept’ -10 -9 -8 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2
1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
-7 -1
-1
This is where the line -2
-3
crosses the y-axis. -4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10
Complete the table for
the equation and plot the graph. Gradient
y=x
y
x -2 -1 0 1 2 10
y -
2 -
1 0 1 3 9 x
8
y = 2x 7
6 x
x -2 -1 0 1 2 5
y -
4 -
2 0 2 4 x
4
3 x x
2 x
y = 3x x1 x
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
x -2 -1 0 1 2 x -1 x
x -2
y -
6 -
3 0 3 6 x x -3 x
-4
-5
y = -x x -6
-7
x -2 -1 0 1 2 -8
y 2 1 0 -
1 -
2 x -9
-10
Gradient
What do you notice about these straightylines?
y=x 10
9 x
y = 2x 8
y = 3x 7
6 x
y = -x 5
They are not parallel x 3 x x
x
- they have different 2
x1 x
gradients -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
x -1 x
x -2
The gradient is the x x -3 x
-4
number -5
in front of the x x -6
-7
-8
x -9
-10
What is the meaning of this
sign?
1. Icy Road Ahead
2. Steep Road Ahead
3. Curvy Road Ahead
4. Trucks Entering Highway Ahead
What does the 7% mean?
7% is the slope of the road.
It means the road drops 7
feet vertically for every 100
feet horizontally.
7% 7 feet
100 feet
So, what is slope???
Slope is the steepness of a line.
Gradients of straight-line graphs
The gradient of a line is a measure of how steep the line is.
an upwards slope a horizontal line a downwards slope
y y y
x x x
Positive gradient Zero gradient Negative gradient
If a line is vertical, its gradient cannot be specified.
Slope can be expressed different
ways:
( y2 y1 ) rise vertical change
m
( x2 x1 ) run horizontal change
A line has a positive slope if it is
going uphill from left to right.
A line has a negative slope if it is
going downhill from left to right.
Determine the slope of the
line.
Start with the lower point and count how
much you rise and run to get to the other
point!
rise 3 1
= =
6 run 6 2
3
Notice the slope is positive
AND the line increases!
Find the gradient and y-intercept of the straight-line graph.
(4,6)
(0,-2)
4
Rise(8)
m 2
Run(4)
e.g.
4
m m 2
2
Find the gradient and y-intercept of the straight-line graph.
18
(-9,5)
-6
(9,-1)
Rise( 6) 1
m
Run(18) 3
We could compute the run by We compute the gradient by
looking at the difference taking the ratio of how much the
between the x values. line rises (goes up) and how
much the line runs (goes over)
run (x2, y2)
rise
If we took two points on the line,
y2 – y1 we could compute the rise by
(x1, y1) looking at the difference
between the y values.
x2 – x1
So the gradient or
gradient is the rise over y2 y1
the run m This is the
x2 x1 gradient formula
gradient is designated with an m
y
Let’s figure out the (2, 4) Choose two points on
gradient of this line. the line.
We know it should 1
be a positive (1, 2)
number. 2 The rise over the run is 2
over 1 which is 2. Let’s
x
compute it with the
(0, 0) gradient formula.
(-2, -4)
2 0
What if we'd chosen two different points on the line?
m 2
1 0
4 4 8
m 2
2 2 4 It doesn't matter which two points we pick,
we'll always get a constant ratio of 2 for
this line.
change in y Y
slope 4,5
change in x
y2 y1
m
x2 x1
X
5 0 1, 0
slope
4 1
5
slope
3
( 2, 3 )
3 ( 1) 4
( 0, 1 )
2 0 2
3 ( 1) 4
m m m 2
2 0 2
change in y Y
slope 4,5
change in x
y2 y1 5,1
m
x2 x1
X
5 1
slope
4 5
4 4
slope
9 9
( (x22,,3y)2 )
y 2 y1
((x01, , y11))
x 2 x1
y 2 y1
m
x 2 x1
Find the slope of the line that
passes through (3, 5) and (-1, 4).
1. 4
2. -4
3. ¼
4. -¼
Find the slope of the line that
goes through the points (-5, 3)
and (2, 1).
y2 y1 1 3
m m
x2 x1 2 5
1 3 2
m m
2 ( 5) 7
Find the gradient of a line the contains the points (- 2, 4) and (2, - 2).
(-2, 4)
y
First let's plot Now let's compute the
the points and gradient---we know it
graph the line.
will be negative by
x
looking at the line.
(2, -2)
2 4 6 3
m
2 2 4 2
Slope of any Vertical Line
Y
x 2
y2 y1
m 2,3
x2 x1
3 4 X
slope
2 2
7 2, 4
slope undefined
0
Slope of any Horizontal Line
Y
y 3
y2 y1
m
x2 x1
3 3 X
slope 3, 3
4 3
slope
0
0 4, 3
7
The general equation of a straight line
The general equation of a straight line can be written as:
y = mx + c
The value of m tells us the gradient of the line.
The value of c tells us where the line crosses the y-axis.
This is called the y-intercept and it has the coordinate (0, c).
For example, the line y = 3x + 4 has a gradient of 3 and crosses the y-axis at the
point (0, 4).
Straight Line Graphs
y
10
9
8 rise = 2
7
All straight line 6
run =
y = 2x + 3 1
graphs are of the 5
4
form y = mx + c 3
2
y intercept =
1
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1
3
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
The gradient, m, -1
-2
is defined as the -3 rise = 8
rise/run -4
-5
-6
-7
run = -8
4 -9
-
10
m gives the gradient of the line and c gives the y
intercept.
Straight Line Graphs
y
10
9
8
7
rise = 3
All straight line y = 3x - 4
6
graphs are of the 5
run = 1
4
form y = mx + c 3
2
1
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
The gradient is -1
-2
defined as the -3
rise/run -4
-5
y intercept = -4
-6
-7
-8
-9
-
10
m gives the gradient of the line and c gives the y
intercept.
Straight Line Graphs
y
10
9
8
7
All straight line y = ½x + 1
6
graphs are of the 5
rise = 1
4
form y = mx + c 3
run = 2
2
1
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
The gradient is -1
y intercept = 1
-2
defined as the -3
rise/run -4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-
10
m gives the gradient of the line and c gives the y
intercept.
Straight Line Graphs
y
10
9
8
7
All straight line 6
graphs are of the 5
4
form y = mx + c 3
2
1
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
The gradient is -1
1
defined as the y= x-5 -2
rise = 1
3 -3
run =
rise/run -4
-5
3
-6
-7
-8
y intercept = -5
-9
-
10
m gives the gradient of the line and c gives the y
intercept.
Straight Line Graphs
y
10
9
8
7
All straight line rise = 3
3 6
y = x +2
graphs are of the 4 5
run = 4
4
form y = mx + c 3
2
1 y intercept = 2
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
The gradient is -1
-2
defined as the -3
rise/run -4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-
10
m gives the gradient of the line and c gives the y
intercept.
Consider the straight lines shown below:
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)
Can you split the lines into two groups based on their gradients ?
Lines (a) (c) and (d) slope upwards from left to right. Positive
gradient
Lines (b) and (e) slope downwards from left to right. Negative
gradient
Straight Line Graphs
y
10
9
8
7
All straight line 6
y intercept = 3
graphs are of the rise = 4 5
4
form y = mx + c 3
run = 5 2
1
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
The gradient is -1
-2 4
defined as the -3
y =-
5
x +3
rise/run -4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-
10
m gives the gradient of the line and c gives the y
intercept.
Determine the equations of the following lines
y
10
1. y = 2x + 3 5 9 1
8
2. y = 3x – 5 7
6
3. y = -x + 6 5 2
4. Y = ½x –2
4
4
3
2
5. Y = - 4x –9 1
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x
6. y = ¾x -1
-2
6 -3
-4
-5 3
-6
-7
-8
-9
-
10
The gradient and the y-intercept
Match the equations to the graphs
Gradient
So in order to calculate gradient we have two options:
a)Read the number in front of the x.
e.g. Y = 4x + 3 has a gradient of 4.
b)Read it from the graph.
ALWAYS move one place to the right, then see how far
up or down you have to go…
Find the Equation
In order to find the equation of the line we need to read
the graph and write the equation in this form:
y = mx + c
a)Find the gradient (m)
‘Move one place to the right and see how far up or
down you go...’
b)Find the y-intercept (c)
‘See where the line crosses the y-axis’
Tricky one?? Use a Table!!
Draw the line 2y + 4x = 6
x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y
Worksheets
Some to try…
Extension…
R
