Midpoint of a Line Segment Worksheet

Prior Knowledge:
• Plotting coordinates in all 4 quadrants.
• Adding and subtracting negative numbers.

Mathematically, a line is a straight, one-dimensional object that goes on forever in both directions.
A line segment is just a part of a line; it is still straight and one-dimensional, but it has a start and
an end point. The midpoint is the centre of that line segment.
When we find the coordinates of the midpoint of a line segment, we are finding halfway between
the two end points. This is usually defined on an axis, so we can give the location of the midpoint
as a pair of coordinates.

Example 1 Example 2
Calculate the distance between A and B. Find the coordinates of the midpoint (M)
y of line segment AB.
4 B
y
3 4
2 A
3
1 A
x 2
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
-1
M
-2 1

-3 B
x
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
-4
-1
In this example, we are calculating the length
of the line segment.
In this example, we will look at identifying
First, we need to identify the scale of the axis the midpoint (M) of two points. As M is
to work out the length of the line segment. In identified on the grid, you just need to
this case, the line is vertical, so we only need identify the coordinates.
to check the scale of the y-axis. Here, we can
Remember: the x-coordinate comes first,
see that the scale goes up in ones, therefore,
followed by the y-coordinate.
we can say the length of the line segment is
3 units. M = (-1, 1.5)
y
4 B
1
3
2
2
3
1 A
x
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
-1
-2
-3
-4

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 Midpoint of a Line Segment Worksheet

Example 3
Calculate the coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment AB.
y
4

B
3

2
A
1
In this example, we have to calculate the coordinates
x of the midpoint of the line segment. Start by checking
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
the scale, then count the horizontal distance and
-1 vertical distance between A and B.

y
4

B
This gives us a horizontal distance of 4 and a vertical
3 distance of 2.
2
2 units

2 We are looking for the midpoint, which is halfway

A
1 between A and B. We therefore halve both of these
4 units
1 values:
1 2 3 4
x Horizontal: 4 ÷ 2 = 2
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
Vertical: 2 ÷ 2 = 1
-1

We now have two options. We can add these to the coordinates of point A, or subtract them
from the coordinates of point B. We will add them to A, which has coordinates (-3, 1).

Add the horizontal value to the x-coordinate of A:

y
-3 + 2 = -1 4

B
3
Add the vertical value to the y-coordinate of A:
1+1=2 2
M
A (-1, 2)
1
We can now write these as the coordinates of
x
the midpoint: (-1, 2). -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2

-1

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 Midpoint of a Line Segment Worksheet

Example 4

Find the midpoint, M, of the line segment between (6, 3) and (4, -1).

In this case, we don’t have the line segment or the axis, so we will use a different method.
Note that this method will also work if you are given the line segment – all you need is the
coordinates of each end.

In other areas of maths, we have different names for the midpoint between two numbers – we
sometimes call it the mean. We can find the mean of the x-coordinates and the mean of the
y-coordinates to find the midpoint of two coordinates:

To find the mean of two numbers, we add the numbers and then divide by 2:

Mean of the x-coordinates: 6 + 4 = 5

2
3 + -1
Mean of the y-coordinates: =1
2
This gives us the coordinates of our midpoint, M: (5, 1).

This can also be set out like this:

To find the midpoint, M, of point A and point B:

xA + xB yA + yB
M= , .
2 2

Where xA and xB are the x-coordinates of A and B, and yA and yB are the y-coordinates of A and B.

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 Midpoint of a Line Segment Worksheet
Your Turn
1. Calculate the distance between A and B. 4. Calculate the coordinates of the midpoint
y of the line segment AB.
5 y
B 2
4 A B
1
3
x
2 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
-1
1
A
x 
-2 -1 0 1 2
-1

 5. Calculate the coordinates of the midpoint

of the line segment AB.
y
6
2. Calculate the distance between A and B.
y A 5
4
4
A B
3 3

2 2

1 1

x x
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 -3 -2 -1 0 1
-1
-1
B -2


3. Write the coordinates of the midpoint (M)

of points A and B.
6. Calculate the coordinates of the midpoint
y of the line segment AB.
4 y
A B
4
3
3
2
M 2

1 1
B x A
x
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 -1 0 1 2 3 4

-1 -1

 

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 Midpoint of a Line Segment Worksheet

7. Calculate the coordinates of the midpoint of the line segment AB.

y
6

5 B

1 A

x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

-1

8. Find the coordinates of the midpoint of the points with coordinates (0, 2) and (4, 2).

9. Find the coordinates of the midpoint of the points with coordinates (5, 8) and (1, 7).

10. Find the coordinates of the midpoint of the points with coordinates (-4, 6) and (-3, -5).

Challenge
Line segment AB has coordinates A = (2, 8). The midpoint, M, has coordinates (4, 9). Find the
coordinates of point B.

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