22/07/2024

1H: Length and Midpoint of a Line Segment

Part 1: Finding the midpoint
 To find the midpoint of a line we can divide it into two.

Using coordinates, we can calculate its horizontal & vertical magnitudes (lengths)
& divide each by two.

Horizontal Vertical
change change
B, (10,9)
+8 +4
2 2
M, (6,7)
+4 +4 +2
+2
+4
+8 M, (2+4 , 5+2)
A, (2,5)
M, (6,7)
Not to scale
 Finding the Midpoint of a Line

B, (9,10)

The horizontal mean of A & B:

3+ 9
M, (6,7) =6
2

The vertical mean of A & B:

A, (3,4)
4 +10
=7
2

M, (6,7)
Finding the Midpoint of a Line

B, (7,4) The horizontal mean of A & B:

3+7
=5
2

The vertical mean of A & B:

A, (3,−2)
− 2+ 4
=1
2

M, (5,1)
 Finding the Midpoint of a Line

A, (1,6)
The horizontal mean of A & B:

1+(− 5)
=− 2
2

The vertical mean of A & B:

6+(− 4)
=1
B, (−5, −4) 2

M, (−2,1)
DEMO Finding the Midpoint of a Line
Point A is at (2, 4) Point A is at (3, 5)
Point B is at (6, 8) Point B is at (5, 7)

Find Point M, the midpoint of the line AB. Find Point M, the midpoint of the line AB.

Average Average
coordinate coordinate

( 𝑥 1+ 𝑥 2
2 ) ( 𝑦 1+ 𝑦 2
2 )

( ( 2)+(6)
2 ) ( ( 4)+(8)
2 ) ( ( 3)+(5)
2 ) ( (5)+(7)
2 )
M=( 4 , 6 ) M=( 4 , 6 )
DEMO Finding the Midpoint of a Line
Point A is at (8, 1) Point A is at (0, 3)
Point B is at (2, 5) Point B is at (12, 4)

Find Point M, the midpoint of the line AB. Find Point M, the midpoint of the line AB.

Average Average
coordinate coordinate

( 𝑥 1+ 𝑥 2
2 ) ( 𝑦 1+ 𝑦 2
2 )

( ( 8)+( 2)
2 ) ( (1)+(5)
2 ) ( ( 0)+( 12)
2 ) ( ( 3)+( 4)
2 )
M=( 5 , 3 ) M=( 6 , 3.5 )
DEMO Finding the Midpoint of a Line
Point A is at (−2, 4) Point A is at (−4, 5)
Point B is at (4, 8) Point B is at (6, 10)

Find Point M, the midpoint of the line AB. Find Point M, the midpoint of the line AB.

Average Average
coordinate coordinate

( 𝑥 1+ 𝑥 2
2 ) ( 𝑦 1+ 𝑦 2
2 )

( (− 2)+( 4)
2 )( ( 4)+(8)
2 ) ( (− 4 )+( 6)
2 )( ( 6)+( 10)
2 )
M=( 1 , 6 ) M=( 1 , 8 )
DEMO Finding the Midpoint of a Line
Point A is at (6, 5)
Point B is at (−8, 9) The midpoint of (a, 3) and (7, b) is (5, 4)

Find Point M, the midpoint of the line AB. Find the values of a and b.

Average Average
𝑎+ 7 3+𝑏
coordinate coordinate =5 =4
2 2
( ) ( )
𝑥 1+ 𝑥 2 𝑦 1+ 𝑦 2 x2 x2 x2 x2

2 2 𝑎 +7=10 3+ 𝑏= 8
-7 -7 -3 -3

( ( 6)+( −8)
2 )( (5)+( 9)
2 ) 𝑎=3 𝑏=5

M = ( −1 , 7 )
Part 2: Finding the length
y

B
(6, 6)

e ?
a nc
i st 6–3=3
D

A
(2, 3) 6–2=4

x
 𝑐y
𝑏

B
𝑎 (6, 6)
𝑎 2 +𝑏 2=𝑐 2

e ?
a nc
i st 3
D

A
(2, 3) 4

x
y

B
(5, 8)

e ?
a nc
i st 8–2=6
D

A
(2, 2) 5–2=3

x
 𝑐y
𝑏

B
𝑎 (5, 8)
𝑎 2 +𝑏 2=𝑐 2

e ?
a nc
i st 6
D

A
(2, 2) 3

x
 y

B
(5, 7)

c e ?
ta n
Dis
7 – -3 = 10

A
(-4, -3) 5 – -4 = 9
 y
𝑐 B
𝑏 (5, 7)

𝑎
c e ?
2
𝑎 +𝑏 =𝑐
2 2
ta n
Dis
10

A
(-4, -3) 9
y

B
(x2, y2)

e ?
a nc
i st y2 – y 1
D

A
(x1, y1) x2 – x 1

x
 𝑐y
𝑏

B
𝑎 (6, 6)
𝑎 2 +𝑏 2=𝑐 2

e ?
a nc
i st y2 – y 1
D

A
(2, 3) x2 – x 1

√
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒= ( 𝑥2 − 𝑥 1) + ( 𝑦 2 − 𝑦 1x )
2 2
Find the lengths of the line segments joining the following pairs of points:

a) (6, 5) and (2, 2)

b) (10, 9) and (4, 1)

c) (-3, 2) and (-1, 1)

d) (4, -5) and (-1, 0)

√ 2 2
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒= ( 𝑥2 − 𝑥 1) + ( 𝑦 2 − 𝑦 1 )
Exercise 1H