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Is the slope of line z positive?

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by VJesus12 » Mon Apr 01, 2019 3:40 am

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Is the slope of line z positive?

1) line m is perpendicular to line z, and its slope is −1/4.

2) line z's y-intercept is positive.

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Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by Ian Stewart » Mon Apr 01, 2019 11:36 am
If two lines are perpendicular, their slopes are negative reciprocals, so if one line has a slope of m, the other has a slope of -1/m. So from Statement 1, if line m has a slope of -1/4, the perpendicular line z must have a slope of 4, and Statement 1 is sufficient.

Knowing about one point on a line tells you nothing about how a line rises or falls, so Statement 2 is not sufficient.
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