Difference between revisions of "Perpendicular"

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Two linear graphs in the Cartesian coordinate plane are perpendicular if and only if one's slope is the negative reciprocal of the other's. This means that their slopes must have a product of <math>-1</math>.
 
Two linear graphs in the Cartesian coordinate plane are perpendicular if and only if one's slope is the negative reciprocal of the other's. This means that their slopes must have a product of <math>-1</math>.
  
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==See Also==
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*[[Parallel]]
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*[[Slope]]
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*[[Skew]]
 
[[Category:Geometry]]
 
[[Category:Geometry]]
 
[[Category:Definition]]
 
[[Category:Definition]]

Revision as of 15:10, 20 October 2007

Being perpendicular is a property of lines in a plane. Generally, when the term is used, it refers to the definition of perpendicular in Euclidean geometry.

Definition

Two lines $l$ and $m$ are said to be perpendicular if they intersect in right angles. We denote this relationship by $l \perp m$. In the Cartesian coordinate system, a line with slope $m$ is perpendicular to every line with slope $-\frac{1}{m}$ and no others.

For non-linear objects

One can also discuss perpendicularity of other objects. If a line $l$ intersects a plane $P$ at a point $A$, we say that $l \perp P$ if and only if for every line $m$ in $P$ passing through $A$, $l \perp m$.

If a plane $P$ intersects another plane $Q$ in a line $k$, we say that $P \perp Q$ if and only if: for line $l \in P$ and $m \in Q$ passing through $A \in k$, $l \perp k$ and $m \perp k$ implies $l \perp m$.

Coordinate Plane

Two linear graphs in the Cartesian coordinate plane are perpendicular if and only if one's slope is the negative reciprocal of the other's. This means that their slopes must have a product of $-1$.

See Also