Pearson Geometry Common Core, 2011
PG
Pearson Geometry Common Core, 2011 View details
8. Slopes of Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
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Exercise 36 Page 203

The slopes of the perpendicular lines are negative reciprocals.

Yes, see solution.

Practice makes perfect
Lines are perpendicular if their slopes are negative reciprocals. Let's write each equation in slope-intercept form, highlighting their slopes.


Given Equation Slope-intercept form Slope
y=- x-7 y= - 1x-7 m_1= - 1
y-x=20 y= 1x+20 m_2= 1
To determine whether or not they are perpendicular, we calculate the product of the slopes. Any two slopes whose product equals - 1 are negative reciprocals, and therefore the lines will be perpendicular.
m_1* m_2? =- 1
-1 ( 1)? =- 1
-1 = - 1 âś“
The slopes of the given lines are negative reciprocals, so the lines are perpendicular.