How Do You Find the Slope of a Line If You Have a Perpendicular Line?

How Do You Find the Slope of a Line If You Have a Perpendicular Line?

Note:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are opposite reciprocals of each other. To find the slope of a line that is perpendicular to a given equation, find the opposite reciprocal of that slope. Check out this tutorial to learn how!

Keywords:

  • problem
  • equation
  • line
  • standard form
  • slope-intercept form
  • perpendicular
  • find slope
  • perpendicular slope

Background Tutorials

  • Interpret and compute quotients of fractions, and solve word problems involving division of fractions by fractions, e.g., by using visual fraction models and equations to represent the problem.

      • What's a Reciprocal?What's a Reciprocal?

      What's a Reciprocal?

      Reciprocals are important when it comes to dividing fractions, finding perpendicular lines, dealing with inverse proportions, and so much more! In this tutorial you can review the basics about reciprocals.

  • Evaluate expressions at specific values of their variables. Include expressions that arise from formulas used in real-world problems. Perform arithmetic operations, including those involving whole-number exponents, in the conventional order when there are no parentheses to specify a particular order (Order of Operations).

      • What is a Variable?What is a Variable?

      What is a Variable?

      You can't do algebra without working with variables, but variables can be confusing. If you've ever wondered what variables are, then this tutorial is for you!

  • Use similar triangles to explain why the slope m is the same between any two distinct points on a non-vertical line in the coordinate plane; derive the equation y = mx for a line through the origin and the equation y = mx + b for a line intercepting the vertical axis at b.

      • What's the Formula for Slope?What's the Formula for Slope?

      What's the Formula for Slope?

      When you're dealing with linear equations, you may be asked to find the slope of a line. That's when knowing the slope formula really comes in handy! Learn the formula to find the slope of a line by watching this tutorial.

  • Prove the slope criteria for parallel and perpendicular lines and use them to solve geometric problems (e.g., find the equation of a line parallel or perpendicular to a given line that passes through a given point).

      • How Do You Know if Two Lines Are Perpendicular?How Do You Know if Two Lines Are Perpendicular?

      How Do You Know if Two Lines Are Perpendicular?

      Perpendicular lines intersect at right angles to one another. To figure out if two equations are perpendicular, take a look at their slopes. The slopes of perpendicular lines are opposite reciprocals of each other. Their product is -1! Watch this tutorial and see how to determine if two equations are perpendicular.

Further Exploration

  • Prove the slope criteria for parallel and perpendicular lines and use them to solve geometric problems (e.g., find the equation of a line parallel or perpendicular to a given line that passes through a given point).