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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines Notes

The document discusses parallel and perpendicular lines. It defines that parallel lines have the same slope, while perpendicular lines have slopes that are opposite reciprocals. It provides examples of determining the slope and equation of a line parallel or perpendicular to a given line, passing through a specified point. The steps involve finding the slope of the given line, determining the slope of the parallel/perpendicular line based on the relationship, and using point-slope form to write the equation of the new line.

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489 views

Parallel and Perpendicular Lines Notes

The document discusses parallel and perpendicular lines. It defines that parallel lines have the same slope, while perpendicular lines have slopes that are opposite reciprocals. It provides examples of determining the slope and equation of a line parallel or perpendicular to a given line, passing through a specified point. The steps involve finding the slope of the given line, determining the slope of the parallel/perpendicular line based on the relationship, and using point-slope form to write the equation of the new line.

Uploaded by

api-300181803
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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4.

4 Parallel and Perpendicular Lines



Parallel Lines Same Slope

If 2 lines are parallel, their slopes are exactly the same, because these lines never
cross.

Ex. What is the slope of a line parallel to the line y = 3x + 5

Answer: Since the slope of that line is 3, or 3/1, the slope of any line parallel to it
would also be 3 or 3/1

Ex. Write the equation of a line that is parallel to 2x + 4y = 12 and passes through
the point (2,3).

Answer:

Step 1: Solve the equation for y, so you can determine the slope.

2x + 4y = 12
4y = -2x + 12
y = -2/4 x + 3
or

y = - x + 3

so the slope for this line and any parallel to it is

Step 2: Use point slope form of the line and plug in this slope with the given point

y y1 = m (x x1)
y 3 = - (x 2)

Step 3: Unless otherwise specified, solve the equation for y to put into slope
intercept form

y 3 = - (x 2)
* Distribute the through the parenthesis
y 3 = - x + 1

* Add 3 to both sides to eliminate it from the left
y = - x + 1 + 3
y = - x + 4








Perpendicular Lines Opposite Reciprocal Slope



If 2 lines are perpendicular, their lines form 4 90 degree angles that look like a cross.

Ex. What is the slope of a line perpendicular to the line y =3/4 x + 5?

Answer: Since the slope of this line is , the slope of any line perpendicular to it
would be the opposite reciprocal, which in this case would be -4/3.

Ex. What is the equation of a line that is perpendicular to the line 3x 6y = 24 and
passes through the point (3, -4).

Answer:

Step 1: Solve the equation for y, so you can determine the slope.

3x 6y = 24

* move the 3x to the other side by subtracting it
-6y = -3x + 24

* divide everything by -6
y = -3/-6 x + 24/-6

y = x 4

Step 2: Since you now know the slope of the given line, find the opposite reciprocal
of that slope. In this case, since the slope of the line is , the opposite reciprocal
would be -2.

Step 3: Use point slope form of the line and plug the new slope with the given point

y y1 = m (x x1)

y - -4 = -2 (x 3)
y + 4 = -2 (x 3)

Step 4: Unless otherwise specified, solve the equation for y to put into slope
intercept form

y + 4 = -2 (x -3)

* Distribute the -2 through the parenthesis
y + 4 = -2x + 6

* subtract 4 from both sides of the equation
y = -2x + 6 4
y = -2x + 2

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