SOLUTION: WRITE THE EQUATION of the line passing throiugh the given points: (-1, 3)and (4, -2) (2, -3) and (2,4)

Algebra ->  Linear-equations -> SOLUTION: WRITE THE EQUATION of the line passing throiugh the given points: (-1, 3)and (4, -2) (2, -3) and (2,4)      Log On


   



Question 67258: WRITE THE EQUATION of the line passing throiugh the given points:
(-1, 3)and (4, -2)
(2, -3) and (2,4)

Found 2 solutions by stanbon, funmath:
Answer by stanbon(75887) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
WRITE THE EQUATION of the line passing throiugh the given points:
(-1, 3)and (4, -2)
slope=[-2-3)/(4--1)=-5/5=-1
y-3=(-1)(x+1)
y=-x+2
-----------------
(2, -3) and (2,4)
slope=(4--3)/(2-2)
=7/0
But 7/0 is undefined.
This means the line thru these two points is a vertical line.
It is the line whose equation is x=2
------------
Cheers,
Stan H.

Answer by funmath(2933) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
WRITE THE EQUATION of the line passing throiugh the given points:
(-1, 3)and (4, -2)
In order to write the equation of a line, you need a slope and a point.
We have two points, therefore we can use the slope formula to find the slope: highlight%28m=%28y2-y1%29%2F%28x2-x1%29%29, m=slope, and (x1,y1) and (x2,y2) are given points.
(x1,y1)=(-1,3) and (x2,y2)=(4,-2)
m=%28-2-3%29%2F%284-%28-1%29%29
m=-5%2F5
m=-1
Now that we have a slope and a point we can use the point slope formula to find the equation of the line: highlight%28y-y1=m%28x-x1%29%29, m=slope and (x1,y1) is a given point.
m=-1 and (x1,y1)=(-1,3)
y-3=-1%28x-%28-1%29%29
y-3=-1%28x%2B1%29
y-3=-x-1
y-3%2B3=-x-1%2B3
highlight%28y=-x%2B2%29
This is not the only way to do this, let me know if your book is doing something a little different.
:
(2, -3) and (2,4)
This is a special case, notice that the two x's are the same. If you were to plot these two points and connect the points, you would find you had a vertical line going through x=2.
The equation of a vertical line going through x=2, is:
highlight%28x=2%29
:
FYI, The other special case would be if the y's were the same, then the equation would be y=k, where k is their matching y value.
:
Happy Calculating!!!!