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For the graph y = 12, find the slope of a line that is perpendicular to it and the slope of a line parallel to it.

User Arminius
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Final answer:

A line with the equation y = 12 has a slope of 0, meaning any line parallel to it also has a slope of 0, while a line perpendicular to it has an undefined slope, indicating that it's a vertical line.

Step-by-step explanation:

For the graph y = 12, which is a horizontal line, the slope of a line parallel to it will also be 0 because parallel lines have the same slope. The slope of a line perpendicular to it will be undefined, which means that a perpendicular line is a vertical line with an equation in the form of x = a, where a is a constant.

In the context of slope and the Algebra of Straight Lines, the equation y = mx + b describes a line with slope m and y-intercept b. For y = 12, m = 0 and b = 12. A slope of 0 indicates no rise over the run, which is characteristic of a horizontal line. Hence, any line perpendicular to it has to be vertical, signifying an infinite slope or undefined slope.

User Sean Lintern
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