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Co-ordinate Geometry is a method of analyzing geometrical shapes. Co-ordinate Geometry is one of the most scoring topics of the mathematics syllabus of IIT JEE and other engineering exams. Besides calculus, this is the only topic that can fetch you maximum marks. It is a vast topic and can further be divided into various parts like:
- Straight Lines
All these topics hold great importance from examination point of view but the Straight Line and the Circle are the most important. These topics together fetch maximum questions in the JEE and moreover they are a pre requisite to conic sections as well.
The Coordinate Plane
In Coordinate geometry, points are placed on the coordinate plane. The horizontal line is the x-axis while the vertical line is the y-axis. The point where they cross each other is called the origin.
A point's location on the plane is given by two numbers, the first tells where it is on the x-axis and the second tells where it is on the y-axis. Together, they define a single, unique position on the plane.
In the figure below, we have plotted the point (20, 15). Note here that the order is important as the first in the pair always stands for the x coordinate. Sometimes these are also referred to as the rectangular coordinates.
We have listed some of the important facts here, but the rest have been covered in detail in the later sections:
The Midpoint of a Line Joining Two Points
The midpoint of the line joining the points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) is:
[½(x1 + x2), ½(y1 + y2)]
Find the coordinates of the midpoint of the line joining (11, 2) and (3, 4).
Midpoint = [½(11+ 3), ½(2 + 4)] = (7, 3)
You may refer the maths past papers to get an idea about the type of questions asked.
The Gradient of a Line Joining Two Points
The gradient of a line joining two points is given by
y2-y1 ∕ x2-x1
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Two parallel lines have the same gradient while if two lines are perpendicular then the product of their gradient is -1.
a) y = 4x + 1
b) y = -1/4 x + 12
c) ½y = 2x - 3
The gradients of the lines are 4, -1/4 and 4 respectively. Hence, as stated above lines (a) and (b) are perpendicular, (b) and (c) are perpendicular and (a) and (c) are parallel.
For more, you can also refer the video
The figure below shows the various topics included in the conic sections:
Conic section is a vital organ of coordinate geometry. It is easy to gain marks in this section as there are some standard questions asked from this section so they can be easily dealt with. Some topics no doubt are difficult but can be mastered with continuous practice.
The importance of Co-ordinate Geometry lies in the fact that almost all the students who aspire to get high All India rank in IIT JEE, AIEEE, DCE, EAMCET and other engineering entrance examinations
give a good emphasis on Co-ordinate Geometry.