16Hit1600
AlgebraVery hardx-intercept of a perpendicular line through a point

Algebra practice question

In the xy-plane, lines p and q are perpendicular and intersect at (2, 3). Line p has slope 2. At what value of x does line q cross the x-axis?

Answer: 8

Line q has slope −1/2: y = 3 − (1/2)(x − 2), which is 0 when x = 8.

Common wrong answers

If you answered -4
−4 uses slope 1/2.
If you answered 0.5
0.5 uses slope 2 for line q and solves 3 + 2(x − 2) = 0.
If you answered 3.5
3.5 uses slope −2.

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