Question

Write an equation of the line that passes through (-4, -1) and is perpendicular to the line y= 4/3x+6.

y=

Answer 1

y = (-3/4)x - 4

Explanation:

The slopes of perpendicular lines are opposite reciprocals of each other. In other words, if the slope of one line is a/b, then the slope of the line perpendicular to it would be -b/a.

Here, the given slope is 4/3, so the slope of the perpendicular line is -3/4.

We are given a point (-4, -1) and we know the slope, so we can find the point-slope form of the line. Point-slope form is written as y - y1 = m(x - x1), where (x1,y1) is the point and m is the slope. Here, x1 = -4 and y1 = -1 and m = -3/4. So:

y - y1 = m(x - x1)

y - (-1) = (-3/4) * (x - (-4)) = (-3/4) * (x + 4)

y + 1 = (-3/4)x + (-3/4) * 4 = (-3/4)x - 3

y = (-3/4)x - 3 - 1

y = (-3/4)x - 4