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Please help asap!!!

Parallels and perpendicular lines-CER
Pete says these two lines are perpendicular.
Russell says they are not. Who is right?

Please help asap!!! Parallels and perpendicular lines-CER Pete says these two lines-example-1
User Quaffel
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1 Answer

9 votes

Answer: Russell is correct

The lines aren't perpendicular.

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Step-by-step explanation:

Pick any two points from the red line to find the slope.

I'll pick (0,1) and (1,5).

m = slope

m = (y2-y1)/(x2-x1)

m = (5-1)/(1-0)

m = 4/1

m = 4

The red line has a slope of 4.

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Repeat the same steps for the blue line.

I'll pick the points (0,0) and (3,-1).

Ideally you should pick points that have whole numbers for x and y.

m = (y2-y1)/(x2-x1)

m = (-1-0)/(3-0)

m = -1/3

The blue line has slope of -1/3

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The red and blue lines have slopes of 4 and -1/3 respectively.

These numbers are not negative reciprocals of each other, so the lines are not perpendicular.

Put another way: the two slopes do not multiply to -1, which is why they aren't perpendicular.

Perpendicular slopes always multiply to -1 assuming neither line is vertical nor horizontal.

Therefore Russell is correct in stating the lines aren't perpendicular.

User Jimin
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5.1k points