A perpendicular bisector has which of the following properties?

A perpendicular bisector has which of the following properties?

• A. Is parallel to the line it bisects
• B. Bisects a line and forms a 90 degree angle
• C. Passes through the endpoint of the line segment
• D. Is always shorter than the segment

Answer: (B)

A perpendicular bisector is a line that both intersects a segment at its midpoint and is perpendicular to that segment. This means it splits the segment into two equal parts and forms a 90-degree angle with the segment at the point of intersection. That’s exactly what the chosen statement describes: it bisects the segment and creates a right angle. The other ideas don’t fit: a line parallel to the segment would not cross and bisect it, it would miss the midpoint; passing through an endpoint contradicts intersecting at the midpoint; and the notion of being “shorter than the segment” doesn’t apply since a line extends indefinitely and length isn’t a defining property.

A perpendicular bisector is a line that both intersects a segment at its midpoint and is perpendicular to that segment. This means it splits the segment into two equal parts and forms a 90-degree angle with the segment at the point of intersection. That’s exactly what the chosen statement describes: it bisects the segment and creates a right angle. The other ideas don’t fit: a line parallel to the segment would not cross and bisect it, it would miss the midpoint; passing through an endpoint contradicts intersecting at the midpoint; and the notion of being “shorter than the segment” doesn’t apply since a line extends indefinitely and length isn’t a defining property.