Final answer:
The given lines are parallel because they both have slopes of 1.If they were perpendicular, their slopes would be negative reciprocals.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine if two lines are parallel, perpendicular, or neither, we need to calculate their slopes. The slope of a line can be found using the formula (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1), often denoted as Δy/Δx which means 'change in y over change in x'.
For line a, the points are (3,1) and (8,6). So, the slope of line a, let's call it m1, is (6-1)/(8-3) = 5/5 = 1.
For line b, the points are (-6,1) and (2,9). So, the slope of line b, let's call it m2, is (9-1)/(2-(-6)) = 8/8 = 1.
Both lines have the same slope, which means they are parallel. If the lines were perpendicular, their slopes would be negative reciprocals (i.e., m1 = -1/m2).
Learn more about Slopes of Lines