Introduction
Probably the most important function and graph that you will use are those associated with the straight line. A large number of relationships between engineering variables can be described using a straight line or linear graph. Even when this is not strictly the case it is often possible to approximate a relationship by a straight line. In this Section we study the equation of a straight line, its properties and graph.
Prerequisites
- understand what is meant by a function
- be able to graph simple functions
Learning Outcomes
- recognise the equation of a straight line
- explain the significance of and in the equation of a line
- find the gradient of a straight line given two points on the line
- find the equation of a straight line through two points
- find the distance between two points
Contents
1 Linear functions2 The gradient of a straight line through two points
3 The equation of a straight line through two points
4 The distance between two points