Perpendicular refers to a relationship between two lines, surfaces, or vectors that meet or intersect at a right angle or 90 degree angle. When two lines or surfaces are perpendicular, they form a right angle or a 90 degree angle between them. In geometry, perpendicularity is a fundamental concept, and it is denoted by the symbol "⊥." For example, if line AB is perpendicular to line CD, it can be represented as AB ⊥ CD. Perpendicularity can also be applied to three-dimensional objects. For instance, if a vertical line is perpendicular to a horizontal plane, it means that the line is perpendicular to all points on the plane.
In physics and engineering, perpendicularity is often used to describe the relationship between vectors. If two vectors are perpendicular to each other, it means that their dot product is zero, indicating that they have no component in the same direction.
Understanding perpendicularity is essential in various fields, such as geometry, trigonometry, physics, engineering, and architecture. It is a fundamental concept for determining angles, solving geometric problems, analyzing forces, and designing structures that require right angles or orthogonal relationship.
