Question

Select the most precise and correct definition of perpendicular lines from among those that are given.

A . Two lines are perpendicular if they have opposite slopes.
B. Two distinct lines are perpendicular if they are as far from being parallel as possible.
C. Two lines are perpendicular if they meet at one point and one of the angles at their point of intersection is a right angle.

Answer 1

The correct definition of perpendicular lines is option C. They meet at one point and one of the angles at their point of intersection is a right angle (90°). They have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other, except when one line is vertical.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most precise and correct definition of perpendicular lines is that two lines are perpendicular if they meet at one point and one of the angles at their point of intersection is a right angle (90°). This means that the lines intersect in such a way that they form four right angles. Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of each other if neither of the lines is vertical. For instance, if one line has a slope of 2, the line perpendicular to it will have a slope of -1/2. It is worth noting that the concept of perpendicularity can extend to vectors, where perpendicular vectors are known as orthogonal vectors.