68.5k views
1 vote
If you multiply the slopes of two perpendicular lines, the product is −1.

(As long as neither line is vertical.)

User Narayana
by
7.8k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

True

Explanation:

We can prove this by modeling the slope of a line as x, and since perpendicular lines have the opposite reciprocal slope of the first line, its slope will be
(-1)/(x).

From here, you multiply the two slopes together, which is
(x)/(1)*(-1)/(x). Simplifying this expression gives
(-x)/(x), which is equal to -1 when you cancel out x.

User Clayton Gulick
by
7.1k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.