Final answer:
The coordinates of the point that divides the line segment from (-6, -1) to (6, -9) in the ratio 3:1 are (3, -7) by using the section formula.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the coordinates of the point that divides the segment from (-6, -1) to (6, -9) in the ratio 3:1, we can use the section formula. We will apply the formula for internal division which is given by:
\[(x, y) = \left(\frac{m \cdot x_2 + n \cdot x_1}{m + n}, \frac{m \cdot y_2 + n \cdot y_1}{m + n}\right)\]
Here, m:n is the given ratio, (x1, y1) = (-6, -1) are the coordinates of the first point, and (x2, y2) = (6, -9) are the coordinates of the second point. Substituting the values we get:
\[(x, y) = \left(\frac{3 \cdot 6 + 1 \cdot (-6)}{3 + 1}, \frac{3 \cdot (-9) + 1 \cdot (-1)}{3 + 1}\right)\] \[= \left(\frac{18 - 6}{4}, \frac{-27 - 1}{4}\right)\] \[= \left(\frac{12}{4}, \frac{-28}{4}\right)\] \[= (3, -7)\]
Therefore, the coordinates of the point that divides the segment in the ratio of 3 to 1 are (3, -7).