What is true about the slopes of perpendicular lines?

The relationship between the slopes of perpendicular lines is defined by the concept of negative reciprocals. When two lines are perpendicular, the slope of one line is the negative reciprocal of the slope of the other line. This means that if one line has a slope of ( m ), then the slope of a line perpendicular to it will be ( -\frac{1}{m} ).

For example, if the slope of one line is 2, the slope of the line that is perpendicular to it would be ( -\frac{1}{2} ). This characteristic allows perpendicular lines to interact in a manner where they intersect at a right angle, which is fundamental in geometry.

Therefore, the notion of negative reciprocals captures the necessary relationship between the slopes of two lines that meet at right angles, making it the correct option in this scenario.