SOLUTION: If you are finding the line perpendicular to x + 3y = 5, what is the slope of the line?

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Question 390620: If you are finding the line perpendicular to x + 3y = 5, what is the slope of the line?
Answer by ewatrrr(24785) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


Hi,

Note: the standard slope-intercept form for an equation of a line is y = mx + b  

where m is the slope and b the y-intercept.          

 x + 3y = 5   |solving for y to put into the slope-intercept form

    y = -(1/3)x + 5/3 Slope of this line is -(1/3)

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of one another

 Slope of the line to be found is m = 3