Math Problem Statement

Write an equation of the line containing the point (4,6) and parallel to the line x + 4y = 3.

Solution

The problem asks to find the equation of a line that passes through the point (4,6)(4, 6) and is parallel to the line given by the equation x+4y=3x + 4y = 3. The final equation should be in the slope-intercept form y=mx+by = mx + b.

Step-by-Step Solution:

  1. Find the slope of the given line:
    The given line is x+4y=3x + 4y = 3. To find the slope, we need to rewrite it in slope-intercept form y=mx+by = mx + b, where mm is the slope.

    Start by solving for yy: x+4y=34y=x+3y=14x+34x + 4y = 3 \quad \Rightarrow \quad 4y = -x + 3 \quad \Rightarrow \quad y = -\frac{1}{4}x + \frac{3}{4} So, the slope of the given line is m=14m = -\frac{1}{4}.

  2. Use the same slope for the parallel line:
    Since parallel lines have the same slope, the equation of the line passing through (4,6)(4, 6) will also have a slope of 14-\frac{1}{4}. Therefore, the equation of the line is of the form: y=14x+by = -\frac{1}{4}x + b where bb is the y-intercept that we need to find.

  3. Substitute the point (4,6)(4, 6) into the equation:
    To find bb, substitute x=4x = 4 and y=6y = 6 into the equation: 6=14(4)+b6=1+bb=76 = -\frac{1}{4}(4) + b \quad \Rightarrow \quad 6 = -1 + b \quad \Rightarrow \quad b = 7

  4. Write the final equation:
    Now that we know b=7b = 7, the equation of the line is: y=14x+7y = -\frac{1}{4}x + 7

Thus, the equation of the line that passes through (4,6)(4, 6) and is parallel to x+4y=3x + 4y = 3 is: y=14x+7y = -\frac{1}{4}x + 7


Would you like more details on any step? Here are some related questions:

  1. How do you determine the slope of a line given in standard form?
  2. Why do parallel lines have the same slope?
  3. How do you convert an equation to slope-intercept form?
  4. What is the difference between parallel and perpendicular lines in terms of slopes?
  5. How can you find the equation of a line given two points?

Tip: Always express the equation of a line in slope-intercept form when solving for slope-related problems, as it makes it easier to compare and find parallel or perpendicular lines.

Ask a new question for Free

By Image

Drop file here or Click Here to upload

Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Linear Equations
Slope-Intercept Form
Parallel Lines

Formulas

Slope-Intercept Form: y = mx + b
Standard Form Conversion to Slope-Intercept Form

Theorems

Parallel lines have equal slopes

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10