WEBVTT 00:00:01.870 --> 00:00:11.280 If lines 𝑦 equals π‘Žπ‘₯ plus 𝑏 and 𝑦 equals 𝑐π‘₯ plus 𝑑 are perpendicular, which of the following products equals negative one? 00:00:11.890 --> 00:00:21.160 Is it (a) π‘Ž and 𝑐, (b) π‘Ž and 𝑑, (c) 𝑏 and 𝑐, or (d) 𝑏 and 𝑑? 00:00:22.670 --> 00:00:26.740 Let’s recall first what it means for two lines to be perpendicular. 00:00:27.750 --> 00:00:34.310 If line one is perpendicular to line two, then the two lines will intersect at right angles. 00:00:35.080 --> 00:00:45.290 Suppose these lines have equations given in the slope–intercept form 𝑦 equals π‘š one π‘₯ plus 𝑏 one and 𝑦 equals π‘š two π‘₯ plus 𝑏 two. 00:00:46.020 --> 00:00:55.650 Then, we know that if two lines are perpendicular, the product of their slopes, that’s π‘š one multiplied by π‘š two, is negative one. 00:00:56.790 --> 00:00:59.520 Let’s consider then the slopes of these two lines. 00:01:00.500 --> 00:01:11.920 Comparing each of their equations to the slope–intercept form, 𝑦 equals π‘šπ‘₯ plus 𝑏, we see that the slope of the first line 𝑦 equals π‘Žπ‘₯ plus 𝑏 is π‘Ž. 00:01:12.290 --> 00:01:16.940 And the slope of the second line 𝑦 equals 𝑐π‘₯ plus 𝑑 is 𝑐. 00:01:17.830 --> 00:01:23.630 If the two lines are perpendicular, then π‘Ž multiplied by 𝑐 must be equal to negative one. 00:01:24.520 --> 00:01:28.430 The question asked which of the following products equals negative one. 00:01:28.580 --> 00:01:30.470 So our answer is option (a). 00:01:30.650 --> 00:01:32.210 It’s π‘Ž and 𝑐. 00:01:33.300 --> 00:01:42.790 One thing to note is that this property of perpendicular lines that we used wouldn’t apply if the two lines happened to be one horizontal and one vertical. 00:01:43.520 --> 00:01:53.820 The two lines would still be perpendicular, but the product of their slopes wouldn’t be negative one, because the slope of one line would be zero and the slope of the other would be infinite. 00:01:54.770 --> 00:02:03.020 In this case, though, the lines would have equations of the form π‘₯ equals some constant π‘˜ one and 𝑦 equals some other constant π‘˜ two. 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:23.750 Whilst it would be possible to write the equation of the line 𝑦 equals π‘˜ two in the form 𝑦 equals 𝑐π‘₯ plus 𝑑, with 𝑐 equal to zero, and 𝑑 equal to π‘˜ two, it would not be possible to write the line with equation π‘₯ equals π‘˜ one in the form 𝑦 equals π‘Žπ‘₯ plus 𝑏. 00:02:23.930 --> 00:02:37.820 And so for that reason, we know that the two lines we’re working with in this question are not horizontal and vertical lines because their equations were specified as 𝑦 equals π‘Žπ‘₯ plus 𝑏 and 𝑦 equals 𝑐π‘₯ plus 𝑑. 00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:44.070 Our answer to the question β€œwhich of the following products equals negative one?” is option (a). 00:02:44.230 --> 00:02:45.850 It’s π‘Ž and 𝑐.