parallel perpendicular 3-18

Question

A line has a slope of −6.
 
?(a) What is the slope of the line parallel to? it?
?(b) What is the slope of the line perpendicular to? it?

Answer 1

m = -6

 

(a)  A line parallel to it will have the exact same slope, m = -6

 

(b)  If two lines are perpendicular and they have slopes m₁ and m₂, the slopes satisfy the relation

 

m₁m₂ = -1

 

m₁ = -6

 

m₂ = -1/m₁ = -1/(-6) = 1/6

 

The perpendicular line has slope m = 1/6