Question

A given line has the equation 2x + 12y = −1.

Answer 1

Answer:

Step-by-step explanation:

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are opposite reciprocals of each other.  In order to write the equation of a line perpendicular to the one given, we need to find the slope of the given line and then take the opposite reciprocal of it.  The current form the line is in does not give us a clear idea of what the slope is.  We will first put the given line into slope-intercept form (right now it's in standard form, which is not helpful for anything at all!).  Solving the given equation for y:

12y = -2x - 1 and

$y=-\frac{1}{6}x-\frac{1}{12}$ (notice I reduced the slope's fraction from -2/12)

That means that the slope of the given line is -1/6.  So the perpendicular slope is positive 6/1 or just 6.  

Using that slope and the given point in point-slope form to write the equation:

y - 9 = 6(x - 0) and

y - 9 = 6x - 0 and

y = 6x + 9

There you go!