Question

which line is perpendicular to the line y=3x/8+7

Answer 1

u there?

Answer 2

y=3x/8+7 would be easier to interpret if written as follows:
\[y=\frac{ 3 }{ 8 }x+7\]

It is not correct to add 7 and 8. Doing so would violate order of operations rules, which in this particular case require that mult. and div. be done before add'n. and subtr.

Answer 3

Now, if y = (3/8)x = 7, the slope of any line perpendicular to it would have a new slope, and that new slope would be the negative reciprocal of (3/8). Can you find that new slope?

Since we are not given a point through which the new line must pass, all we can do is to is to write a general equation for the family of perpendicular lines: y = (new slope)x + b.