A line has a slope of $-\frac{8}{5}$. (a) What is the slope of the line parallel to it? (b) What is the slope of the line perpendicular to it?

Step 1 ：The slope of a line parallel to a given line is equal to the slope of the given line. Therefore, the slope of the line parallel to the given line is \( -\frac{8}{5} \) or \( -1.6 \).

Step 2 ：The slope of a line perpendicular to a given line is the negative reciprocal of the slope of the given line. Therefore, the slope of the line perpendicular to the given line is \( -\frac{1}{-\frac{8}{5}} \) or \( 0.625 \).

Step 3 ：Final Answer: \n(a) The slope of the line parallel to the given line is \( \boxed{-1.6} \).\n(b) The slope of the line perpendicular to the given line is \( \boxed{0.625} \).