Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the line joining P(2, -3) to Q(-5, 1)

Assessment: JAMB UTME - Mathematics - 2013 Subject: General Mathematics

Question 1 Report

Find the equation of the perpendicular bisector of the line joining P(2, -3) to Q(-5, 1)
Answer Details

Given P(2, -3) and Q(-5, 1)

Midpoint = (2+(−5)2,−3+12) ( 2 + ( − 5 ) 2 , − 3 + 1 2 )

= (−32,−1) ( − 3 2 , − 1 )

Slope of the line PQ = 1−(−3)−5−2 1 − ( − 3 ) − 5 − 2

= −47 − 4 7

The slope of the perpendicular line to PQ = −1−47 − 1 − 4 7

= 74 7 4

The equation of the perpendicular line: y=74x+b y = 7 4 x + b

Using a point on the line (in this case, the midpoint) to find the value of b (the intercept).

−1=(74)(−32)+b − 1 = ( 7 4 ) ( − 3 2 ) + b

−1+218=138=b − 1 + 21 8 = 13 8 = b

∴ ∴  The equation of the perpendicular bisector of the line PQ is y=74x+138 y = 7 4 x + 13 8

≡8y=14x+13⟹8y−14x−13=0

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