Question

write an equation in point-slope form for the perpendicular bisector of the segment with endpoints at A(-2,2) and B(5,4)

Answer 1

The equation in point-slope form for the perpendicular bisector of the segment with endpoints at A(-2,2) and B(5,4) is $y - 3 = \frac{-7x}{2}+ \frac{21}{4}$

Solution:

Given that we have to write equation in point-slope form for the perpendicular bisector of the segment with endpoints at A(-2,2) and B(5,4)

Let us first find the slope of given line AB

The slope "m" of the line is given as:

$m=\frac{y_{2}-y_{1}}{x_{2}-x_{1}}$

Here the given points are A(-2,2) and B(5,4)

$\text {Here } x_{1}=-2 ; y_{1}=2 ; x_{2}=5 ; y_{2}=4$

$m=\frac{4-2}{5-(-2)}=\frac{2}{7}$

Thus the slope of line with given points is $\frac{2}{7}$

We know that product of slopes of given line and slope of line perpendicular to given line is always -1

$\begin{array}{l}{\text {slope of given line } \times \text { slope of perpendicular bisector }=-1} \\\\ {\frac{2}{7} \times \text { slope of perpendicular bisector }=-1} \\ \\{\text {slope of perpendicular bisector }=\frac{-7}{2}}\end{array}$

The perpendicular bisector will run through the midpoint  of the given points

So let us find the midpoint of A(-2,2) and B(5,4)

The midpoint formula for given two points is given as:

$\text {For two points }\left(x_{1}, y_{1}\right) \text { and }\left(x_{2}, y_{2}\right), \text { midpoint } \mathrm{m}(x, y) \text { is given as }$

$m(x, y)=\left(\frac{x_{1}+x_{2}}{2}, \frac{y_{1}+y_{2}}{2}\right)$

Substituting the given points A(-2,2) and B(5,4)

$m(x, y)=\left(\frac{-2+5}{2}, \frac{2+4}{2}\right)=\left(\frac{3}{2}, 3\right)$

Now let us find the equation of perpendicular bisector in point slope form

The perpendicular bisector passes through points (3/2, 3) and slope -7/2

The point slope form is given as:

$y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)$

$\text { Substitute } \mathrm{m}=\frac{-7}{2} \text { and }\left(x_{1}, y_{1}\right)=\left(\frac{3}{2}, 3\right)$

$y - 3 = \frac{-7}{2}(x - \frac{3}{2})\\\\y - 3 = \frac{-7x}{2}+ \frac{21}{4}$

Thus the equation in point-slope form for the perpendicular bisector of the segment with endpoints at A(-2,2) and B(5,4) is found out