SOLUTION: HOW DO I FIND AN EQUATION OF A LINE CONTAINING A GIVEN POINT THAT IS PARALLEL TO A LINE CONTAINING A SET OF POINTS? IS THERE A FORMULA FOR THIS?

Algebra ->  Linear-equations -> SOLUTION: HOW DO I FIND AN EQUATION OF A LINE CONTAINING A GIVEN POINT THAT IS PARALLEL TO A LINE CONTAINING A SET OF POINTS? IS THERE A FORMULA FOR THIS?      Log On


   

Question 306899: HOW DO I FIND AN EQUATION OF A LINE CONTAINING A GIVEN POINT THAT IS PARALLEL TO A LINE CONTAINING A SET OF POINTS? IS THERE A FORMULA FOR THIS?
Answer by solver91311(24713) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


Step 1. Stop typing your questions in ALL CAPS. All caps is the electronic equivalent of shouting. It is both rude and annoying.

Step 2. Find the slope of the line that is defined by the set of points. Take any two of the given points on that line and use the slope formula:



where and are the coordinates of the given points.

Step 3. Recall that parallel lines have equal slopes. That is to say:



Step 4. Use the point-slope form of the equation of a line to derive the desired equation, namely:



where is the slope value you calculated in Step 2 and are the coordinates of the point through which the desired line must pass.


John