Question

What is the equation of the line that is perpendicular to the line y=2x+5 and passes through the point (-4, -2)?

Answer 1

The equation is y = -1/4x - 4.

Point Slope Form: y - y1 = m(x - x1)
Given: (-4,-2) and y = 2x + 5

When you are given a line that is perpendicular, flip the slope upside down and change it to it's opposite (negative to positive etc).

Slope: -1/2

Now plug that and the point into the formula for PS form.

y - (-2) = m(x - (-4))
y + 2 = -1/2(x + 4)
y + 2 = -1/2x - 2
- 2 - 2
---------------------------
y = -1/2x - 4