Algebra 1 : How to find the slope of perpendicular lines

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Algebra 1

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : How To Find The Slope Of Perpendicular Lines

What is the slope of a line that is perpendicular to 

Possible Answers:

None of the other answers

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of one another. The slope of the given line is , which has a negative reciprocal of .

Thus, the slope of the perpendicular line must be .

Example Question #11 : How To Find The Slope Of Perpendicular Lines

What is the slope of a line which is perpendicular to the following line? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Given that our equation is in slop-intercept form

where  is the slope, we see that for this line the slope is .

Find the negative reciprocal of the slope to find the perpendicular line's slope.

Flip the fraction and make it negative. 

.

Example Question #11 : How To Find The Slope Of Perpendicular Lines

What is the slope of a line perpendicular to ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Perpendicular lines are lines that intersect each other at a ninety degree angle. The slope of a line that is perpendicular to another has the opposite sign and is the reciprocal. The slope of a line perpendicular to the one given would be .

Example Question #43 : Perpendicular Lines

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Example Question #11 : How To Find The Slope Of Perpendicular Lines

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 

  

Example Question #16 : How To Find The Slope Of Perpendicular Lines

Find the slope of the line perpendicular to .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The slope of a perpendicular line is always the negative reciprocal of the original slope.

Our original equation is  which is in the form  where  is the slope. Therefore, the original slope is .

To find the slope of a line perpendicular we want to use the following formula,

.

Example Question #14 : How To Find The Slope Of Perpendicular Lines

Find the slope of the line that is perpendicular to a line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept form: 

In this equation,  is the slope and  is the y-intercept.

Lines that are perpendicular to each other have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other. This means that you need to flip the numerator and denominator of the given slope and then change the sign.

First, find the reciprocal of .

Next, change the sign.

Example Question #44 : Perpendicular Lines

Find the slope of the line that is perpendicular to a line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept form: 

In this equation,  is the slope and  is the y-intercept.

Lines that are perpendicular to each other have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other. This means that you need to flip the numerator and denominator of the given slope and then change the sign.

First, find the reciprocal of :  

Flip the numerator and the denominator.

Next, change the sign.

Example Question #45 : Perpendicular Lines

Find the slope of the line that is perpendicular to a line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept form: 

In this equation,  is the slope and  is the y-intercept.

Lines that are perpendicular to each other have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other. This means that you need to flip the numerator and denominator of the given slope and then change the sign.

First, find the reciprocal of .

Next, change the sign.

Example Question #15 : How To Find The Slope Of Perpendicular Lines

Find the slope of a line that is perpendicular to a line with the equation:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Lines can be written in the slope-intercept form: 

In this equation,  is the slope and  is the y-intercept.

Lines that are perpendicular to each other have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other. This means that you need to flip the numerator and denominator of the given slope and then change the sign.

First, find the reciprocal of .

Flip the numerator and the denominator.

Next, change the sign.

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