We put the line
4x + y = k
in slope-intercept form y = mx + b
4x + y = k
y = -4x + k
So it has slope m = -4.
That means that any line perpendicular to it has
the slope m = , the "negative reciprocal"
of the -4, i.e., "invert and change the sign".
Now we can find the equation of the line through
the origin (0,0) with slope .
We use the point-slope formula:
y - y1 = m(x - x1)
where (x1,y1) = (0,0)
y - 0 = (x-0)
which simplifies to
y = x
That will be easier to work with if we
clear the fraction by multiplying both
sides by 4
4y = x
Now we have this system of equations:
y = -4x + k
4y = x
which we are told it has solution (t,t+1),
their given point of intersection.
So we substitute t for x and t+1 for y:
t+1 = -4t + k
4(t+1) = t
which simplify to:
5t-k = -1
4t+4 = t
and the second one simplifies further and we have:
5t-k = -1
3t = -4
We solve the 2nd equation for t
t =
That's all you wanted. However you can continue and
find k too
Substituting for t the first equation, we have
5t-k = -1
5()-k = -1
-k = -1
-20-3k = -3
-3k = 17
k =
But all you wanted was t =
Edwin