Q.The value of λ, if the lines (2x+3y+4)+λ(6x−y+12)=0 are — match Column C1 with Column C2. Column C1:
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Slope Calculation — From Intuition to Precision
Imagine you're walking up a hill. Some hills are gentle — you barely notice the climb. Others are so steep you have to lean forward and use your hands. That "steepness" is what slope measures. In mathematics, slope tells us how fast a line rises or falls as we move from left to right.
The Intuition: Rise Over Run
Take any two points on a straight line. As you walk from the left point to the right point, two things happen:
- You move horizontally — that's the run.
- You move vertically — that's the rise (upwards) or fall (downwards).
Slope is simply the ratio:
Slope = (vertical change) ÷ (horizontal change)
If you climb 3 metres while walking 5 metres forward, the slope is 3/5=0.6. If you descend 2 metres while walking 4 metres forward, the slope is −2/4=−0.5 — negative because you're going downhill.
The Precise Definition
Given two distinct points (x1,y1) and (x2,y2) on a non-vertical line, the slope m is:
m=x2−x1y2−y1
The numerator is the rise (change in y), the denominator is the run (change in x). The order matters: subtract the first point's coordinates from the second's, consistently.
Never divide by zero. If x2=x1, the line is vertical — slope is undefined (not zero, not infinite — just undefined).
What the Number Tells You
| Slope value | What the line does |
|---|---|
| m>0 | Rises left to right (uphill) |
| m<0 | Falls left to right (downhill) |
| m=0 | Horizontal (flat) |
| m undefined | Vertical (straight up/down) |
The larger the absolute value ∣m∣, the steeper the line. A slope of 5 is much steeper than a slope of 0.2.
A Worked Example
Find the slope of the line through (1,2) and (4,8).
Step 1: Label the points. Let (x1,y1)=(1,2) and (x2,y2)=(4,8).
Step 2: Compute the rise: y2−y1=8−2=6.
Step 3: Compute the run: x2−x1=4−1=3.
Step 4: Divide: m=36=2.
The line rises 2 units vertically for every 1 unit it moves right. …
Concept: Family of lines through the intersection of two given lines; conditions on slope and point.
The equation (2x+3y+4)+λ(6x−y+12)=0 represents a family of lines through the intersection of L1:2x+3y+4=0 and L2:6x−y+12=0. Rearranging:
(2+6λ)x+(3−λ)y+(4+12λ)=0
(a) Parallel to y-axis: Coefficient of y must be zero.
3−λ=0⟹λ=3
(b) Perpendicular to 7x+y−4=0: The given line has slope m1=−7. For perpendicularity, our line's slope m2=−3−λ2+6λ must satisfy m1⋅m2=−1:
(−7)(−3−λ2+6λ)=−1⟹3−λ7(2+6λ)=−1
14+42λ=−(3−λ)⟹14+42λ=−3+λ⟹41λ=−17⟹λ=−4117
(c) Passes through (1,2): Substitute x=1,y=2: …
For the family (2+6λ)x+(3−λ)y+(4+12λ)=0: (a)→(iv) λ=3; (b)→(iii) λ=−4117; (c)→(i) λ=−43; (d)→(ii) λ=−31.
Solution
Rewrite the family of lines as
(2+6λ)x+(3−λ)y+(4+12λ)=0,slope m=−3−λ2+6λ.
(a) Parallel to the y-axis (vertical line, so no y-term): 3−λ=0⇒λ=3. → (iv)
(b) Perpendicular to 7x+y−4=0 (its slope is −7, so the required slope is 71):
−3−λ2+6λ=71⇒−7(2+6λ)=3−λ⇒−14−42λ=3−λ⇒λ=−4117. → (iii)
(c) Passes through (1,2): …
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-A1 markMCQQ.Let the line L1 be a line passing through the point (0,−6) and making an angle of 150∘ with the positive x-axis. Then the equation of a line L2 parallel to L1 and crossing the y-axis 2 units below the origin is: (A) x3+y+6=0 (B) x−3y+63=0 (C) x−3y−23=0 (D) x+3y+23=0
›Reveal solutionSolution
L1 has slope tan150∘=−31; the parallel line through (0,−2) is x+3y+23=0 — option (D).
Slope of L1. A line making 150∘ with the positive x-axis has slope
m=tan150∘=−31.
(The point (0,−6) only fixes L1; it is not needed for L2.) …
- KCET 2024Set A-11 markMCQQ.If lines −3x−1=2ky−2=2z−3 and 3kx−1=1y−5=−5z−6 are mutually perpendicular then k is equal to (A) −710 (B) −107 (C) −10 (D) −7
›Reveal solutionSolution
Read the direction ratios off the symmetric form of each line and set their dot product to zero.
1. Extract the direction ratios. A line written in symmetric form
ax−x1=by−y1=cz−z1
has direction ratios ⟨a,b,c⟩ (the denominators). So:
L1:−3x−1=2ky−2=2z−3⟹b1=⟨−3, 2k, 2⟩
L2:3kx−1=1y−5=−5z−6⟹b2=⟨3k, 1, −5⟩
2. The perpendicularity condition. Two lines are mutually perpendicular exactly when the angle between their direction vectors is 90∘. Since
cosθ=∣b1∣∣b2∣b1⋅b2,θ=90∘⇒cosθ=0
the condition reduces to the dot product being zero:
a1a2+b1b2+c1c2=0
(The points on the lines are irrelevant — perpendicularity of lines depends only on direction, not position.)
3. Substitute and solve.
(−3)(3k)+(2k)(1)+(2)(−5)=0
−9k+2k−10=0
−7k−10=0
−7k=10⟹k=−710
4. Verify by back-substitution. With k=−710: …
- COMEDK 2023Set 2023-E1 markMCQQ.What can be said regarding a line if its slope is negative? (A) θ is an obtuse angle (B) θ is equal to zero (C) Either the line is x axis or it is parallel to the x axis (D) θ is an acute angle
›Reveal solutionSolution
Since the slope is negative, theta must lie strictly between 90 and 180 degrees, i.e. theta is an obtuse angle.
Concept: slope m = tan(theta), where theta is the inclination measured anticlockwise from the positive x-axis, 0 <= theta < 180 degrees.
On 0 <= theta < 180:
- tan theta > 0 for 0 < theta < 90 (acute) -> positive slope
- tan theta = 0 for theta = 0 -> line parallel to / coincident with the x-axis …
- COMEDK 2023Set 2023-M1 markMCQQ.The slope of lines which makes an angle 60∘ with the line y−3x+18=0 (A) 1+3333−3,1+3333−3 (B) 1+333−3,1−333+3 (C) 1+33,1−33 (D) 33−1,33+1
›Reveal solutionSolution
With the base slope m1=3 and angle 60∘, solving 3=1+3mm−3 gives the pair 1+333−3 and 1−333+3.
The line y−3x+18=0 has slope m1=3. If a line of slope m makes 60∘ with it:
tan60∘=1+mm1m−m1=1+3mm−3=3.
Case +3: m−3=3(1+3m)⇒m−33m=3+3⇒m(1−33)=3+3, so
m=1−333+3. …
- COMEDK 2022Set 20221 markMCQQ.The slope of lines which makes an angle 45∘ with the line 2x−y=−7 (A) 31,−3 (B) −1,1 (C) 3,3−1 (D) 1,31
›Reveal solutionSolution
So the slopes are 1/3 and −3.
Concept: tanθ = |(m − m₁)/(1 + m m₁)|.
Given line: 2x − y = −7 → y = 2x + 7 → m₁ = 2. Required angle θ = 45° → tanθ = 1.
|(m − 2)/(1 + 2m)| = 1
Case 1: (m − 2) = (1 + 2m) → −m = 3 → m = −3. …
- KCET 2019Set A-11 markMCQQ.3cosec20∘−sec20∘= (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 1
›Reveal solutionSolution
Put both terms over the common denominator sin20∘cos20∘; the numerator collapses to a single sine via the compound-angle formula and the denominator via the double-angle formula, and the sin40∘ cancels.
Step 1 — Write everything in sine and cosine and combine.
3cosec20∘−sec20∘=sin20∘3−cos20∘1=sin20∘cos20∘3cos20∘−sin20∘
Step 2 — Simplify the numerator using the acosθ−bsinθ trick.
Factor out 2 so the coefficients become a cosine and a sine of a standard angle:
3cos20∘−sin20∘=2(23cos20∘−21sin20∘)
Since cos30∘=23 and sin30∘=21, this is exactly the expansion of cos(A+B):
=2(cos30∘cos20∘−sin30∘sin20∘)=2cos(30∘+20∘)=2cos50∘
and using cos50∘=sin40∘ (complementary angles),
numerator=2sin40∘
Step 3 — Simplify the denominator using the double-angle formula. …
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