Let $\beta=\{w_1,w_2,\ldots,w_k\}$ and $\gamma=\{x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_m\}$ be the bases for $W$ and $W^\perp$, respectively. It suffices to show that
$$\beta\cup\gamma=\{w_1,w_2,\ldots,w_k,x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_m\}$$
is a basis for $V$.
Given $v\in V$, then it is well-known that $v=v_1+v_2$ for some $v_1\in W$ and $v_2\in W^\perp$. Also because $\beta$ and $\gamma$ are bases for $W$ and $W^\perp$, respectively, there exist scalars
$a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_k,b_1,b_2,\ldots,b_m$ such that
$v_1=\displaystyle\sum_{i=1}^ka_iw_i$ and $v_2=\displaystyle\sum_{j=1}^mb_jx_j$. Therefore
$$v=v_1+v_2=\sum_{i=1}^ka_iw_i+\sum_{j=1}^mb_jx_j,$$
which follows that $\beta\cup\gamma$ generates $V$. Next, we show that
$\beta\cup\gamma$ is linearly independent. Given
$c_1,c_2,\ldots,c_k,d_1,d_2,\ldots,d_m$ such that
$\displaystyle\sum_{i=1}^kc_iw_i+\sum_{j=1}^md_jx_j={\it 0}$, then
$\displaystyle\sum_{i=1}^kc_iw_i=-\sum_{j=1}^md_jx_j$. It follows that
$$\sum_{i=1}^kc_iw_i\in W\cap W^\perp\quad\mbox{and}\quad
\sum_{j=1}^md_jx_j\in W\cap W^\perp.$$
But since $W\cap W^\perp=\{{\it 0}\,\}$ (gievn $x\in W\cap W^\perp$,
we have $\langle x,x\rangle=0$ and thus $x={\it 0}\,$), we have
$\displaystyle\sum_{i=1}^kc_iw_i=\sum_{j=1}^md_jx_j={\it 0}$. Therefore
$c_i=0$ and $d_j=0$ for each $i,j$ becasue $\beta$ and $\gamma$ are bases
for $W$ and $W^\perp$, respectively. Hence we conclude that $\beta\cup\gamma$ is linearly independent.
Best Answer
the orthogonal space is the null space of the system. Nullity +rank =n. Now nullity is n minus row rank once we look at the reduced echelon form of the system. Row rank is just dimension of our original subspace.