Question 30·Hard·Linear Equations in Two Variables
Lines and intersect at the point . Line has equation . Line is perpendicular to line and also passes through . Which of the following is an equation of line ?
For perpendicular-line questions, quickly find the slope of the given line (by rewriting to if needed), then take the negative reciprocal for the perpendicular slope. In multiple-choice form, use the fact that for , the slope is to check slopes rapidly, eliminating options that don’t have the correct perpendicular slope. Finally, use any given point by plugging its coordinates into the remaining candidate equations to see which one actually passes through that point, instead of fully deriving the equation from scratch.
Hints
Start with the given line
Try rewriting into the form so you can clearly see the slope of line .
Relate perpendicular lines to slope
Once you know the slope of line , think about how the slope of a perpendicular line is related to it (how do you get the negative reciprocal?).
Use the answer choices efficiently
Find which choices have the correct perpendicular slope, then use the fact that line passes through to test those equations.
Check the point
For any candidate equation, substitute and . If the equation is true, then the line passes through ; if not, it doesn’t.
Desmos Guide
Graph the given line m
Type 4x-3y=15 into Desmos. This will draw line .
Plot the intersection point
Add the point (3,-1) as a separate expression. Make sure it lies on line so you can visually confirm the setup.
Graph each answer choice
Enter each option as a separate line: 4x-3y=17, 4x+3y=7, 3x-4y=5, and 3x+4y=5. Look for the line that both passes through the point (3,-1) and forms a right angle (perpendicular) with line .
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what is given and what is needed
We are told:
- Line goes through and has equation .
- Line is perpendicular to line and also passes through .
We need to find which choice could be the equation of line .
Find the slope of line m
Rewrite in slope-intercept form :
Subtract from both sides:
Divide by :
So the slope of line is .
Use the perpendicular slope relationship
For two lines to be perpendicular, their slopes must be negative reciprocals of each other. That means:
- If one slope is ,
- The perpendicular slope must be .
So line must have slope .
Find which choices have the correct slope
Each answer choice is in the form . The slope of such a line is .
Compute the slopes:
- : slope
- : slope
- : slope
- : slope
Only the last equation has slope , so line must be represented by the last choice if it also passes through .
Check which line with that slope passes through (3, -1)
Now plug into the remaining candidate with slope :
For :
This is a true statement (), so lies on this line.
Therefore, the equation of line is .