3.1.2 Parallel & Perpendicular Gradients
Parallel & Perpendicular Gradients
What are parallel lines?
- Parallel lines are equidistant meaning they never meet
- Parallel lines have equal gradients
What are perpendicular lines?
- Perpendicular lines meet at right angles
- The product of their gradients is -1
What are collinear lines?
- Collinear lines are two line segments that are part of the same line
- They have equal gradients and pass through, or meet at, a point
- Rearrange their equations into the same form and they will be identical
How do I tell if lines are parallel or perpendicular?
- Rearrange equations into the form y = mx + c
- m is the gradient
Exam Tip
- Exam questions are good at “hiding” parallel and perpendicular lines.
- For example a tangent and a radius are perpendicular.
- Parallel lines could be implied by phrases like “… at the same rate …”
Worked example
You've read 0 of your 0 free revision notes
Get unlimited access
to absolutely everything:
- Downloadable PDFs
- Unlimited Revision Notes
- Topic Questions
- Past Papers
- Model Answers
- Videos (Maths and Science)
Did this page help you?
