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How do you find the slope that is perpendicular to the line #2x + y = 4#?

Answer 1

Eva Abramson

#1/2#

First set the equation in terms of #y#:

To do this, subtract #2x# from both sides:

#cancel(2x-2x)+y=4-2x#

#y=4-2x#

To find the perpendicular slope or #m_|_# we first must find the slope of the equation given: The slope is the number that is next to the variable and not the constant. The slope(#m#) in this case is #-2#

To find the perpendicular slope algebraically, we use the following: #m_|_=-1/m# because it is the negative reciprocal of the original slope. We then plug in #-2# for #m#:

#m_|_=-1/-2=1/2#

#:. # the perpendicular slope is #1/2#

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Answer 2

Savannah Anderson

To find the slope perpendicular to a given line, you first find the slope of the given line and then take the negative reciprocal of that slope. The given line is in the form (2x + y = 4), which can be rewritten in slope-intercept form as (y = -2x + 4). The slope of this line is (-2), so the slope perpendicular to it is the negative reciprocal of (-2), which is (1/2).

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.