Problema Solution
Find the equation for the line that passes through the point (0,-5) and that is perpendicular to the line with the equation y+1=-3(x+2)
Answer provided by our tutors
First, lets write the equation y+1=-3(x+2) in "slope-intercept" form
y+1=-3(x+2)
y = -3x - 6 - 1
y = -3x - 7
has slope m1 = -3
let y = m2 x + b, where m2 is the slope and b gives the y-intercept
be the equation of a line that is perpendicular to the line with the equation y+1=-3(x+2) thus
m2*m1 = -1 since the lines are perpendicular
m2 = -1/m1
m2 = -1/(-3)
m2 = 1/3
y = x/3 + b
now the only thing left to find is b
since y = x/3 + b passes through the point (0,-5) we have
-5 = 0/3 + b
b = -5
the equation of the line that we are looking for is
y = x/3 - 5.