A line segment is bisected by a line with the equation -7 y + x = 3 . If one end of the line segment is at (1 ,6 ), where is the other end?

1 Answer
May 2, 2016

The other end of the bisected line could be any point on
color(white)("XXX")-7y+x=47

Explanation:

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If color(red)(-7y+x=3) bisects a line segment between color(blue)(""(1,6)) and some other point color(green)(""(x',y'))
with an intersection point of color(red)(-7y+x=3) and this line segment at color(red)(""(barx,bary))

Then
color(white)("XXX")(6-color(red)(bary))=(color(red)(bary)-color(green)(y'))
color(white)("XXXXXX")rarr color(green)(y')=2color(red)(bary)-6
and
color(white)("XXX")(1-color(red)(barx))=(color(red)(barx)-color(green)(x'))
color(white)("XXXXXX")rarr color(green)(x')=2color(red)(barx)-1

Specifically, we could solve color(red)(-7y+x=3) for a couple arbitrary solution points:
color(white)("XXX")color(red)((barx_1,bary_1)=(-4,-1))
and
color(white)("XXX")color(red)((barx_2,bary_2)=(3,0))

and obtain end-of-line-segment values:
color(white)("XXX")color(green)((x'_1,y'_1)=(-9,-8))
and
color(white)("XXX")color(green)((x'_2,y'_2)=(5,-6)

Using the slopes
color(white)("XXX")(y-color(green)(y'_1))/(x-color(green)(x'_1))=(color(green)(y'_1-y'_2))/(color(green)(x'_1-x'_2))

color(white)("XXX")(y-color(green)(""(-8)))/(x-color(green)(""(-9)))=(color(green)(""(-8))-color(green)(""(-6)))/(color(green)(""(-9))-color(green)(""(-5)))

color(white)("XXX")(y+8)/(x+9)=1/7

color(white)("XXX")7y+56=x+9

color(white)("XXX")7y-x=-47

or (paralleling the given form):
color(white)("XXX")-7y+x=47