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Mathematics 20 Online
OpenStudy (silvysly):

Write the equation of the line perpendicular to 3x + y = -8 that passes through (-3,1) . Write your answer in slope-intercept form. Show your work.

OpenStudy (steve816):

Perpendicular lines have the slope of opposite reciprocal.

OpenStudy (steve816):

Start out by subtracting 3x from both sides to get y = -3x - 8 Now what is the opposite reciprocal of -3?

OpenStudy (silvysly):

3?

OpenStudy (steve816):

Nope, opposite reciprocal means that you flip the numerator and the denominator.

OpenStudy (silvysly):

Oh, okay. Is the reciprocal 1?

OpenStudy (steve816):

Not quite, the opposite reciprocal of -3 would be 1/3

OpenStudy (steve816):

Now, the equation has to pass through (-3, 1) ya?

OpenStudy (silvysly):

Yes.

OpenStudy (steve816):

So you plug in the coordinate points to the slope that is perpendicular. So it would be\[\large 1=\frac{ 1 }{ 3 }(-3)+b\] Can you solve for b?

OpenStudy (silvysly):

B=2

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