Question

Write an equation of the perpendicular bisector of the segment with the endpoints (8,10) and ( -4,2).

Answer 1

Answer:

The required equation is:

$y = -\frac{3}{2}x+9$

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the equation of a line, the slope and y-intercept is required.

The slope can be found by finding the slope of given line segment. A the perpendicular bisector of a line is perpendicular to the given line, the product of their slopes will be -1 and it will pass through the mid-point of given line segment.

Given points are:

$(x_1,y_1) = (8,10)\\(x_2,y_2) = (-4,2)$

We will find the slope of given line segment first

$m = \frac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}\\= \frac{2-10}{-4-8}\\=\frac{-8}{-12}\\=\frac{2}{3}$

Let m_1 be the slope of perpendicular bisector then,

$m.m_1 = -1\\\frac{2}{3}.m_1 = -1\\m_1 = \frac{-3}{2}$

Now the mid-point

$(x,y) = (\frac{x_1+x_2}{2} , \frac{y_1+y_2}{2})\\= (\frac{8-4}{2} , \frac{10+2}{2})\\=(\frac{4}{2}, \frac{12}{2})\\=(2,6)$

We have to find equation of a line with slope -3/2 passing through (2,6)

The equation of line in slope-intercept form is given by:

$y = m_1x+b$

Putting the value of slope

$y= -\frac{3}{2}x+b$

Putting the point (2,6) to find the y-intercept

$6 = -\frac{3}{2}(2)+b\\6 = -3+b\\b = 6+3 =9$

The equation is:

$y = -\frac{3}{2}x+9$