Find the equation of the line perpendicular to y=2x-1 that passes through (2,0)

The first step is to remember that the equation of every straight line can be expressed as:y=mx+cSo we need to find the values of m and c. We have a rule that tells us the gradient of perpendicular lines- the negative reciprocal rule! -So to find m, we find the negative reciprocal of 2. This gives us m=-0.5This is the stage at which lots of students get stuck. To find the value of c, we must first 'plug' our value of m back into the equation:y=-0.5x+cNow, we know that the point (2,0) is on the line, so we can write that:0=-0.5(2)+c0=-1+cSo adding 1 to both sides:c=1We are done! The answer is y=-0.5x+1

WR
Answered by Will R. Maths tutor

8068 Views

See similar Maths GCSE tutors

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How do I solve a quadratic equation by factorising?


6x + 2y = 22, 2x + y = 8. Find x and y.


Sketch the graph of y = 5 - 7x


Solve the simultaneous equations: y=x^2 + 3x + 7 and y=x + 10


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:

© 2026 by IXL Learning