Question

Find the equation of the line that is perpendicular to the line given by \(y = -\frac{1}{2}x + 3\) and passes through the point (4, 2).

Ask by Chandler Norton. in South Africa
Jan 23,2025

Real Tutor Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The equation of the perpendicular line is \( y = 2x - 6 \).

Solution

To find the equation of the line that is perpendicular to the given line \( y = -\frac{1}{2}x + 3 \) and passes through the point \((4, 2)\), follow these steps: 1. **Determine the slope of the given line:** The given line is in the slope-intercept form \( y = mx + b \), where \( m \) is the slope. For \( y = -\frac{1}{2}x + 3 \), the slope \( m_1 \) is: \[ m_1 = -\frac{1}{2} \] 2. **Find the slope of the perpendicular line:** The slope of a line perpendicular to another is the **negative reciprocal** of the original slope. Therefore, the slope \( m_2 \) of the perpendicular line is: \[ m_2 = -\frac{1}{m_1} = -\frac{1}{-\frac{1}{2}} = 2 \] 3. **Use the point-slope form to find the equation:** The point-slope form is given by: \[ y - y_1 = m(x - x_1) \] Plugging in the slope \( m_2 = 2 \) and the point \( (4, 2) \): \[ y - 2 = 2(x - 4) \] Simplifying this: \[ y - 2 = 2x - 8 \] \[ y = 2x - 6 \] **Final Answer:** \[ y = 2x - 6 \]

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The Deep Dive

To find the equation of the line that is perpendicular to the line given by \(y = -\frac{1}{2}x + 3\), we first need to determine the slope of the original line. The slope of this line is \(-\frac{1}{2}\). Lines that are perpendicular to each other have slopes that are negative reciprocals, so the slope of the line we are looking for will be the negative reciprocal of \(-\frac{1}{2}\), which is \(2\). Next, we can use the point-slope form of the equation of a line, which is given by \(y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)\), where \((x_1, y_1)\) is the point the line passes through, and \(m\) is the slope. In this case, the point is \((4, 2)\), and the slope \(m\) is \(2\). Substituting the values into the point-slope form: \[ y - 2 = 2(x - 4) \] Distributing the \(2\): \[ y - 2 = 2x - 8 \] Now, add \(2\) to both sides to solve for \(y\): \[ y = 2x - 8 + 2 \] \[ y = 2x - 6 \] Therefore, the equation of the line that is perpendicular to the given line and passes through the point (4, 2) is: \[ \boxed{y = 2x - 6} \]

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