OCR Advanced FSMQ - Additional Maths

6.1 The gradient of a line The gradient is the steepness or slope of a line. A steep line has higher gradient than a less steep line. Gradients can be positive, negative, zero or infinite. A line with a positive gradient slopes upwards from left to right, so its y -value increases as its x -value increases. A line with a negative gradient slopes downwards from left to right, so its y -value decreases as its x -value increases. A line with a zero gradient does not slope at all and is parallel to the x -axis. A line with an infinite gradient is a line which is parallel to the y -axis. y x O C B ( x 2 , y 2 ) A ( x 1 , y 1 ) As this line segment slopes upward from left to right, it has a positive gradient. y x O y x O y x O y x O Positive gradient Zero gradient Negative gradient Infinite gradient 2 Coordinate geometry 118