how do you find the equation of a line perpendicular to another line at a point?

The gradient of the perpendicular line is the negative reciprocal of the gradient of the original line. For example if the gradient of the original line is 4, the gradient of the perpendicular line is -1/4. If the gradient of the original line is 1/2 , the gradient of the perpendicular line is -2 (=-2/1). The equation of the perpendicular line can then be found by substituting the gradient (m) and the given point (x,y) into the equation y=mx+c.(the reciprocal of a number is 1/that number)

FG
Answered by Frankie G. Maths tutor

3248 Views

See similar Maths GCSE tutors

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

√5( √8 +√18) can be written in the form a√10 where a is an integer.


Write 16 × 8^(2x) as a power of 2 in terms of x


Simplify (x^5 * x^8)/(x^4 * x^4).


The equation of the line L1 is y=3x–2. The equation of the line L2 is 3y–9x+5=0. Show that these two lines are parallel.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning