Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
The line with equation ax + by + c = 0 has slope -a/b, so any line perpendicular to it will have slope b/a (the negative reciprocal). Let (m, n) be the point of intersection of the line ax + by + c = 0 and the line perpendicular to it which passes through the point (x 0, y 0). The line through these two points is perpendicular to the original ...
The method hinges on the observation that the radius of a circle is always normal to the circle itself. With this in mind Descartes would construct a circle that was tangent to a given curve. He could then use the radius at the point of intersection to find the slope of a normal line, and from this one can easily find the slope of a tangent line.
Given a circle whose center is point O, choose three points V, C, D on the circle. Draw lines VC and VD: angle ∠DVC is an inscribed angle. Now draw line OV and extend it past point O so that it intersects the circle at point E. Angle ∠DVC intercepts arc DC on the circle. Suppose this arc includes point E within it.
The intercept theorem, also known as Thales's theorem, basic proportionality theorem or side splitter theorem, is an important theorem in elementary geometry about the ratios of various line segments that are created if two rays with a common starting point are intercepted by a pair of parallels.
where is the slope and is the y-intercept. Because this is a function of only x {\displaystyle x} , it can't represent a vertical line. Therefore, it would be useful to make this equation written as a function of both x {\displaystyle x} and y {\displaystyle y} , to be able to draw lines at any angle.
As stated above, Thales's theorem is a special case of the inscribed angle theorem (the proof of which is quite similar to the first proof of Thales's theorem given above): Given three points A, B and C on a circle with center O, the angle ∠ AOC is twice as large as the angle ∠ ABC. A related result to Thales's theorem is the following:
In two dimensions, the equation for non-vertical lines is often given in the slope–intercept form: = + where: m is the slope or gradient of the line. b is the y-intercept of the line. x is the independent variable of the function y = f(x).
Suppose that two lines have the equations y = ax + c and y = bx + d where a and b are the slopes (gradients) of the lines and where c and d are the y-intercepts of the lines. At the point where the two lines intersect (if they do), both y coordinates will be the same, hence the following equality: + = +.