Algebra 1 : How to find out if lines are perpendicular

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Algebra 1

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Perpendicular Lines

Find a line perpendicular to the line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept format:

In this format,  equals the line's slope and  represents where the line intercepts the y-axis.

In the given equation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other.

First, we need to find its reciprocal.

Second, we need to rewrite it with the opposite sign.

Only one of the choices has a slope of .

 

 

Example Question #12 : Perpendicular Lines

Find a line perpendicular to the line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept format:

In this format,  equals the line's slope and  represents where the line intercepts the y-axis.

In the given equation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other.

First, we need to find its reciprocal.

Second, we need to rewrite it with the opposite sign.

Only one of the choices has a slope of .

 

Example Question #13 : Perpendicular Lines

Find a line perpendicular to the line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept format:

In this format,  equals the line's slope and  represents where the line intercepts the y-axis.

In the given equation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other.

First, we need to find its reciprocal.

Second, we need to rewrite it with the opposite sign.

Only one of the choices has a slope of .

 

Example Question #14 : Perpendicular Lines

Find a line perpendicular to the line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept format:

In this format,  equals the line's slope and  represents where the line intercepts the y-axis.

In the given equation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other.

First, we need to find its reciprocal.

Second, we need to rewrite it with the opposite sign.

Only one of the choices has a slope of .

 

 

Example Question #15 : Perpendicular Lines

Find a line perpendicular to the line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept format:

In this format,  equals the line's slope and  represents where the line intercepts the y-axis.

In the given equation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other.

First, we need to find its reciprocal.

Second, we need to rewrite it with the opposite sign.

Only one of the choices has a slope of .

 

 

Example Question #16 : Perpendicular Lines

Find a line perpendicular to the line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept format:

In this format,  equals the line's slope and  represents where the line intercepts the y-axis.

In the given equation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other.

First, we need to find its reciprocal.

Second, we need to rewrite it with the opposite sign.

Only one of the choices has a slope of .

 

Example Question #17 : Perpendicular Lines

Find a line perpendicular to the line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept format:

In this format,  equals the line's slope and  represents where the line intercepts the y-axis.

In the given equation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other.

First, we need to find its reciprocal.

Second, we need to rewrite it with the opposite sign.

Only one of the choices has a slope of .

 

Example Question #18 : Perpendicular Lines

Find a line perpendicular to the line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept format:

In this format,  equals the line's slope and  represents where the line intercepts the y-axis.

In the given equation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other.

First, we need to find its reciprocal.

Second, we need to rewrite it with the opposite sign.

Only one of the choices has a slope of .

 

Example Question #19 : Perpendicular Lines

Given the two lines:   and , are the lines perpendicular to each other?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Write the perpendicular line slope formula.  The perpendicular slope is the negative reciprocal of the original slope.

Let  be the original equation.  The slope is .  Substitute this into the equation to find the slope of any perpendicular line.

The slope of a perpendicular line must have a slope of , which is also the slope for .

The answer is:

Example Question #11 : Equations Of Lines

Select the equation of the line that is perpendicular to  .

Possible Answers:

None of the other answers.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines are perpendicular if their slopes are negative reciprocals of one another. For example, the negative reciprocal of . So   is perpendicular to  because their slopes are the negative reciprocals of each other. .  A positive slope can still be the negative reciprocal as you can see.

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