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    Linear Functions The Equation of A Straight Line

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    Mohan Lal
    Linear functions are those whose graph is a straight line. A linear function has one independent variable and one dependent variable. The independent variable is x and the dependent variable is y. a is the constant term or the y intercept.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Linear Functions The Equation of A Straight Line

    Uploaded by

    Mohan Lal
    55 views5 pages
    Linear functions are those whose graph is a straight line. A linear function has one independent variable and one dependent variable. The independent variable is x and the dependent variable is y. a is the constant term or the y intercept.

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    Linear Function

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    Linear functions are those whose graph is a straight line. A linear function has one independent variable and one dependent variable. The independent variable is x and the dependent variable is y. a is the constant term or the y intercept.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    55 views5 pages

    Linear Functions The Equation of A Straight Line

    Uploaded by

    Mohan Lal
    Linear functions are those whose graph is a straight line. A linear function has one independent variable and one dependent variable. The independent variable is x and the dependent variable is y. a is the constant term or the y intercept.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 5

    LINEAR FUNCTIONS

    The Equation of a Straight Line


    Sketching the graph
    The slope-intercept form
    The proof

    WE NOW BEGIN THE STUDY OF THE GRAPHS of polynomial


    functions.
    We will find that the graph of each degree leaves its
    characteristic signature on the x- y-plane.

    The graph of a first degree polynomial is always a


    straight line. The graph of a second degree polynomial is a
    curve known as a parabola. A polynomial of the third
    degree has the form shown on the right. Skill in cordinate
    geometry consists in recognizing this relationship between
    equations and their graphs. Hence the student should
    know that the graph of any first degree
    polynomial y =ax + b is a straight line, and, conversely,
    any straight line has for its equation, y =ax + b.
    Sketching the graph of a first degree equation should
    be a basic skill. See Lesson 33 of Algebra.
    Example. Mark the x- and y-intercepts, and sketch the
    graph of
    y = 2x + 6.

    Solution.

    The x-intercept is the root. It is the solution to 2x + 6


    = 0. The
    x-intercept is 3.
    The y-intercept is the constant term, 6.
    Now, what does it mean to say that y = 2x + 6 is the
    "equation" of that line?
    It means that every cordinate pair (x, y) that is on the
    graph, solvesthat equation. (That's what it means for a
    cordinate pair to be on the graph on any equation.) Every
    cordinate pair (x, y) on that line is
    (x, 2x + 6).
    That line, therefore, is called the graph of the
    equation y = 2x + 6. And y = 2x + 6 is called
    the equation of that line.
    Every first degree equation has for its graph a straight
    line. (We willprove that below.) For that reason, functions
    or equations of the first degree -- where 1 is the highest
    exponent -- are called linear functions or linear equations.
    Problem 1. Mark the x- and y-intercepts, and sketch the
    graph of
    y = 3x 3
    To see the answer, pass your mouse over the
    colored area.
    To cover the answer again, click "Refresh"
    ("Reload").

    The x-intercept is the solution to 3x 3 = 0. It


    is x = 1. They-intercept is the constant term, 3.
    Problem 2. Sketch the graph of y = 4.

    An equation of the form y = A number, is a


    horizontal line.
    See Lesson 33 of Algebra, the section "Vertical and
    horizontal lines."
    The slope-intercept form

    This linear form


    y = ax + b
    is called the slope-intercept form of the equation of a
    straight line. Because, as we shall prove presently, a is
    the slope of the line (Topic 8), and b -- the constant term -is the y-intercept.
    This first degree form
    Ax + By + C = 0
    where A, B, C are integers, is called the general form of
    the equation of a straight line.

    Theorem. The equation


    y = ax + b
    is the equation of a straight line with slope a and yintercept b.
    For, a straight line may be specified by giving its slope
    and the cordinates of one point on it. (Theorem 8.3.)
    Therefore, let the slope of a line be a, and let the one
    point on it be its y-intercept, (0, b).

    Then if (x, y) are the cordinates of any point on that


    line, its slope is
    yb
    =
    x0
    On solving for y,

    yb
    x

    = a.

    y = ax + b.
    Therefore, since the variables x and y are the
    cordinates of anypoint on that line, that equation is the
    equation of a straight line with slope a and y-intercept b.
    This is what we wanted to prove.
    The slope of a straight line -- that number -- indicates
    the rate at which the value of y changes with respect to
    the value of x. (Topic 8.)
    Problem 3. Name the slope of each line, and state the
    meaning of each slope.
    a) y = 2x + 6

    The slope is 2. This means that y increases 2


    units for every 1 unit of x.
    2
    3

    b) y =
    The slope is

    x +4

    2
    . This means that y decreases 2 units for every
    3

    3 units of x.

    c) y = x
    The slope is 1. This means that y increases 1
    unit for every 1 unit of x. This is the identity
    function, Lesson 5.
    d) 3x + 3y = 1
    It is only when y = ax + b, that the slope is a.
    Therefore, on solving for y: y = x + 1/3. The
    slope is 1. This means thaty decreases 1 unit
    for every unit that x increases.

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