Right Bisectors Worksheet

Definition: The line that passes through the midpoint of a line segment and intersects it at

a 90 degree angle

Remember: perpendicular lines have slopes that are the negative reciprocals of each other.

Example: If the slope of AB is

, then the slope of the line perpendicular to AB is

How to find the equation of the right bisector of line segment AB:

1) Find the slope of line AB

2) Find the perpendicular slope of AB

3) Find the midpoint of AB

4) Use the perpendicular slope and the midpoint of AB to find the y-intercept of the right

bisector

5) Write the equation of the line that bisects AB and is perpendicular to it (write it in

y=mx+b form). Only sub in for ‘m’ and ‘b’ when writing the final equation.

1) Determine an equation for the right bisector of the line segment with endpoints P(-5,-2)

and Q(3,6)

Equation of Right Bisector: ________________________________

2) A telecommunications company wants to build a relay tower that is the same distance

from two adjacent towns. On a local map, the towns have coordinates (2,6) and (10,0).

a) Explain how you could use a right bisector to find the possible locations for the tower

b) Find an equation for this right bisector.

Equation of Right Bisector: ________________________________

3)

a) Draw triangle ABC with vertices A(-2,0), B(8,8), and C(4,-2).

b) Draw the right bisector of BC. Then, find an equation for this right bisector.

Equation of Right Bisector: ________________________________

4) For triangle T(6,9) U(2,5) and V(8,2):

a) Make a rough sketch of the triangle

b) Find the equation of the median

from vertex V

Equation: _____________________

c) Find the equation of the right bisector of

line TU

Equation: _____________________