Question

Find the equation of a line that passes through the point (2,1) and is perpendicular to the line y = 1/3x + 2.

a) y = -3x - 5
b) y = -3x + 5
c) y = 3x - 5
d) y = 3x + 5

Answer 1

To find the equation of a line that is perpendicular to another line, we need to find the negative reciprocal of the slope of the given line. The equation of the line perpendicular to y = 1/3x + 2 and passing through (2,1) is y = -3x + 7.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the equation of a line that is perpendicular to another line, we need to find the negative reciprocal of the slope of the given line. The given line has a slope of 1/3, so the line perpendicular to it will have a slope of -3. We also have a point that the line passes through, which is (2,1). Using the point-slope form of a linear equation, we can plug in the values to find the equation of the line. The equation of the line perpendicular to y = 1/3x + 2 and passing through (2,1) is y = -3x + 7.