[Math] Find the equations of the straight line through $(0,a)$ on which the perpendiculars dropped from the point $(2a,2a)$ are each of length $a$ unit.

analytic geometrygeometry

Find the equations of two straight lines drawn through the point $(0,a)$ on which the perpendiculars drawn from the point $(2a,2a)$ are each of length $a$.

My Attempt:
The equation of line passing through $(0,a)$ is
$y=mx+a$ where $m$ is the slope.
How do I get the value of $m$?

Best Answer

Well, recall the length of a perpendicular from point $(x_{1},y_{1})$ to the line $ax+by+c=0$ is equal to the distance between them and is thus given by $$\dfrac{|ax_{1}+by_{1}+c|}{\sqrt{a^2+b^2}}$$

So the length of a perpendicular from point $(2a,2a)$ on the line $mx-y+a=0$ would be given by $$\dfrac{|2ma-a|}{\sqrt{m^2+1}}=a$$ So squaring and dividing by $a^2$ we have $$\dfrac{4m^2-4m+1}{m^2+1}=1 \implies m=0 \text{ or } m=\dfrac{4}{3}$$