Between
If you know some points on a line, can you work out other points in between?
Problem

This resource is from Underground Mathematics.
1. Here is a graph showing a straight line. It is not drawn accurately.
The points $(2,3)$ and $(8,8)$ lie on the line.
Another point, $(4,a)$, also lies on the line. Can you work out
the value of $a$?
How many different ways can you find to do this?

2. This time, the $x$-coordinate of one of the points is missing - can you work it out?

Did all of your approaches from question 1 work, or did some not?
Or perhaps they worked with some modification?
Can you find any new ways to do this question which are
different from your methods for question 1?
3. This time, you might find it helpful to draw your own sketches.
Give your answers to 1 decimal place.
- The point $(7.3, c)$ lies on the straight line joining $(4.1, 37)$ and $(8.9, 63)$. Find $c$.
- The point $(d, 47.5)$ lies on the straight line joining $(15.05, 42)$ and $(17.55, 56)$. Find $d$.
- The point $(12, e)$ lies on the straight line joining $(8, 20)$ and $(17, 1)$. Find $e$.
Underground Mathematics is hosted by Cambridge Mathematics. The project was originally funded by a grant from the UK Department for Education to provide free web-based resources that support the teaching and learning of post-16 mathematics.
Visit the site at undergroundmathematics.org to find more resources, which also offer suggestions, solutions and teacher notes to help with their use in the classroom.
Student Solutions
Thank you to Kristian from Maidstone Grammar School, Samuel from Wellington School and Niharika from Rugby School for submitting solutions to this problem.
Kristian and Samuel solved the questions by finding the equations of the lines first. Here is Kristian's solution to question 1.
To find the missing coordinate in any case, we need the equation of the line and this can be found using the equation
$$y-y_1=m(x-x_1)$$
We have $y_1$ and $x_1$, so we need $m$. We know that $m$ is the gradient so we know
$m=\frac{dy}{dx}=\frac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}$
$m=\frac{8-3}{8-2}=\frac{5}{6}$
Therefore
$y-3=\frac{5}{6}(x-2)$
$y=\frac{5x}{6}+\frac{4}{3}$
Now we know the line equation, we can just substitute the $x$ value into it
$y=\frac{5 \times 4}{6}-\frac{4}{3}=4.\dot{6}$
Niharika thought of some nice alternative methods for solving this problem which don't involve finding the equation of the line first:
The second way is by using the fact that the slope of a straight line is constant so
$\frac{8-a}{8-4}=\frac{8-3}{8-2}$
$8-a=\frac{10}{3}$
$a=4.\dot{6}$
The third way to do this would be to use similar triangles, which is the same as the second way.
Both methods can be applied to the remaining questions. Here are Samuel's answers to the remaining questions.
2. Work out gradient joining two known points, $\frac{5}{11}$.
Use $(y-y(1))=m(x-x(1))$
Using this, we derive
$11y=5x+63$
When $y=10$, $x=9.4$
Therefore $b=9.4$
3.i. Using the same equation as above, we derive that $4.8y=26x+71$
When $x=7.3$, $4.8y=260.8$
so $y=\frac{163}{3} = 54.\dot{3}$
Therefore $c=\frac{163}{3}$
3.ii. Using the same method as before, we derive
$y=\frac{28x}{5}-\frac{1057}{25}$
Solving for $x$ when $y=47.5$, $x=16.03214286$
Therefore $d=16.03$ (2d.p)
3.iii. Using the same method as before, we derive,
$y=-\frac{19x}{9}+\frac{332}{9}$
When $x=12$, $y=\frac{104}{9}$
Therefore, $e=\frac{104}{9}$
Here are Niharika's solutions using the similar triangles method.
Teachers' Resources
Why use this problem?
This resource invites students to try linear interpolation (finding a point on a straight line between two other points). This problem is also useful in helping students to see that there can be more than one way of solving a problem and evaluating which is the best method. Students also have the opportunity to develop skills that will be needed later.
Possible approach
Individuals or groups should try to come up with as many ways to solve the problem as they can, before each group feeds back on one of their methods. The class could try to decide which of the methods they think is the most efficient. Is it the same method for each problem?
Key question
- Which method would you choose to use to solve this problem? Explain your reasoning.
Possible extension
Can you generalise each method? Can you show that each result is equivalent to each other?