The question is:
Find the equation of the line that is perpendicular to 4x+3y=6 and that passes through the point (-1,-4).
The answer is y=3/4x-13/4, but i don't understand how to get that. Could anyone please explain this to me? Thank you very much!
2007-12-16 08:49:44 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Perpendicular lines have opposite reciprocal slope. That is to say, if one line has slope m, the slope of a perpendicular line would be -1/m. So start by finding the slope of the given line, which you can do most easily by using algebraic manipulation to change the given equation into the slope-intercept form. Then take the opposite reciprocal of that slope to get the slope of the perpendicular line, and use it with the given point to generate the point-slope form of the equation for the line you are looking for.
2007-12-16 08:53:14 · answer #1 · answered by DavidK93 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you find the slope of the line 4x+3y = 6 then take the opposite reciprocal of that slope and use y=mx + b with the given point
2007-12-16 16:55:07 · answer #2 · answered by coachk1968 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋