Question

Find the slope that is perpendicular to the graph of the equation y-2x=-5

Answer 1

Make y the subject,

y - 2x = -5
y = 2x - 5

Now that y is the subject, the coefficient of x is your slope. HOWEVER! We are finding the slope perpendicular to this. Use the rule:

m1 * m2 = -1

Where m1 is the slope and m2 represents the perpendicular slope. Sub in 2 (from previous step)

2 * m2 = -1
m2 = -1/2

Therefore, your slope perpendicular to y - 2x = -5 is -1/2!

Hope this helped! Ask me if there's any part of the working you don't understand :)

Answer 2

We can rearrange the initial equation to y=mx+b

y=2x-5

Since perpendicular slopes must equal -1,
x=the perpendicular slope
2x=-1
x=-1/2

(Or you can just take the negative reciprocal above is just the "formula form" for it)

Therefore, the perpendicular slope is -1/2