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This is a comparison and is therefore a ratio . Ratios can be expressed as fractions. Thus, a measure of the steepness of a line can be expressed as a ratio.

The slope of a line is defined as the ratio

Slope = change in y change in x

Mathematically, we can write these changes as

Slope = y 2 y 1 x 2 x 1

Finding the slope of a line

The slope of a nonvertical line passing through the points ( x 1 , y 1 ) and ( x 2 , y 2 ) is found by the formula
m = y 2 y 1 x 2 x 1

Sample set d

For the two given points, find the slope of the line that passes through them.

( 0 , 1 ) and ( 1 , 3 ) .

Looking left to right on the line we can choose ( x 1 , y 1 ) to be ( 0 , 1 ) , and ( x 2 , y 2 ) to be ( 1 , 3 ) . Then,

m = y 2 y 1 x 2 x 1 = 3 1 1 0 = 2 1 = 2

A graph of a line passing through two points with coordinates zero, one, and one, three with the upward change of two units and a horizontal change of one unit to the right.

This line has slope 2. It appears fairly steep. When the slope is written in fraction form, 2 = 2 1 , we can see, by recalling the slope formula, that as x changes 1 unit to the right (because of the + 1 ) y changes 2 units upward (because of the + 2 ).

m = change in y change in x = 2 1

Notice that as we look left to right, the line rises.

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( 2 , 2 ) and ( 4 , 3 ) .

Looking left to right on the line we can choose ( x 1 , y 1 ) to be ( 2 , 2 ) and ( x 2 , y 2 ) to be ( 4 , 3 ) . Then,

m = y 2 y 1 x 2 x 1 = 3 2 4 2 = 1 2

A graph of a line passing through two points with coordinates two, two, and four, three.

This line has slope 1 2 . Thus, as x changes 2 units to the right (because of the + 2 ), y changes 1 unit upward (because of the + 1 ).

m = change in y change in x = 1 2

Notice that in examples 1 and 2, both lines have positive slopes, + 2 and + 1 2 , and both lines rise as we look left to right.

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( 2 , 4 ) and ( 1 , 1 ) .

Looking left to right on the line we can choose ( x 1 , y 1 ) to be ( 2 , 4 ) and ( x 2 , y 2 ) to be ( 1 , 1 ) . Then,

m = y 2 y 1 x 2 x 1 = 1 4 1 ( 2 ) = 3 1 + 2 = 3 3 = 1

A graph of a line passing through two points with coordinates negative two, four, and one, one with a downward change of one unit and a horizontal change of one unit to the right.

This line has slope 1.

When the slope is written in fraction form, m = 1 = 1 + 1 , we can see that as x changes 1 unit to the right (because of the + 1 ), y changes 1 unit downward (because of the 1 ).
Notice also that this line has a negative slope and declines as we look left to right.

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( 1 , 3 ) and ( 5 , 3 ) .

m = y 2 y 1 x 2 x 1 = 3 3 5 1 = 0 4 = 0

A graph of a line parallel to x axis and passing through two points with coordinates one, three, and five, three.

This line has 0 slope. This means it has no rise and, therefore, is a horizontal line. This does not mean that the line has no slope, however.

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( 4 , 4 ) and ( 4 , 0 ) .

This problem shows why the slope formula is valid only for nonvertical lines.

m = y 2 y 1 x 2 x 1 = 0 4 4 4 = 4 0

A graph of a line parallel to y axis and passing through two points with coordinates four,zero and four, four.

Since division by 0 is undefined, we say that vertical lines have undefined slope. Since there is no real number to represent the slope of this line, we sometimes say that vertical lines have undefined slope , or no slope .

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Practice set d

Find the slope of the line passing through ( 2 , 1 ) and ( 6 , 3 ) . Graph this line on the graph of problem 2 below.

m = 3 1 6 2 = 2 4 = 1 2 .

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Find the slope of the line passing through ( 3 , 4 ) and ( 5 , 5 ) . Graph this line.

An xy-plane with gridlines

The line has slope 1 2 .

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Compare the lines of the following problems. Do the lines appear to cross? What is it called when lines do not meet (parallel or intersecting)? Compare their slopes. Make a statement about the condition of these lines and their slopes.

The lines appear to be parallel. Parallel lines have the same slope, and lines that have the same slope are parallel.

A graph of two parallel lines. One of the lines passes through two points with coordinates two, one and six, three. Another straight line passes through two points with coordinates three, four and five, five.

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Before trying some problems, let’s summarize what we have observed.

The equation y = m x + b is called the slope-intercept form of the equation of a line. The number m is the slope of the line and the point ( 0 , b ) is the y -intercept .

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The slope, m, of a line is defined as the steepness of the line, and it is the number of units that y changes when x changes 1 unit.

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The formula for finding the slope of a line through any two given points ( x 1 , y 1 ) and ( x 2 , y 2 ) is

m = y 2 - y 1 x 2 - x 1

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The fraction y 2 - y 1 x 2 - x 1 represents the Change in y Change in x .

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As we look at a graph from left to right, lines with positive slope rise and lines with negative slope decline.

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Parallel lines have the same slope.

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Horizontal lines have 0 slope.

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Vertical lines have undefined slope (or no slope).

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Exercises

For the following problems, determine the slope and y -intercept of the lines.

y = 3 x + 4

slope = 3 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 4 )

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y = 9 x + 1

slope = 9 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 1 )

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y = 4 x + 5

slope = 4 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 5 )

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y = 6 x 1

slope = 6 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 1 )

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y = x + 2

slope = 1 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 2 )

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4 y = 16 x + 20

slope = 4 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 5 )

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3 y = 12 x 27

slope = 4 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 9 )

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y = 2 7 x 12

slope = 2 7 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 12 )

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y = 4 5 x 4 7

slope = 4 5 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 4 7 )

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10 y = 12 x + 1

slope = 6 5 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 1 10 )

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y = x + 3

slope = 1;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 3 )

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5 x + 3 y = 6

slope = 5 3 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 2 )

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6 x 7 y = 12

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x + 4 y = 1

slope = 1 4 ;   y -intercept = ( 0 , 1 4 )

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For the following problems, find the slope of the line through the pairs of points.

( 1 , 6 ) , ( 4 , 9 )

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( 1 , 3 ) , ( 4 , 7 )

m = 4 3

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( 3 , 5 ) , ( 4 , 7 )

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( 6 , 1 ) , ( 2 , 8 )

m = 7 4

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( 0 , 5 ) , ( 2 , -6 )

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( -2 , 1 ) , ( 0 , 5 )

m = 2

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( 3 , -9 ) , ( 5 , 1 )

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( 4 , -6 ) , ( -2 , 1 )

m = 7 6

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( -5 , 4 ) , ( -1 , 0 )

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( -3 , 2 ) , ( -4 , 6 )

m = 4

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( 9 , 12 ) , ( 6 , 0 )

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( 0 , 0 ) , ( 6 , 6 )

m = 1

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( -2 , -6 ) , ( -4 , -1 )

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( -1 , -7 ) , ( -2 , -9 )

m = 2

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( -6 , -6 ) , ( -5 , -4 )

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( -1 , 0 ) , ( -2 , -2 )

m = 2

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( -4 , -2 ) , ( 0 , 0 )

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( 2 , 3 ) , ( 10 , 3 )

m = 0  ( horizontal line y = 3 )

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( 4 , -2 ) , ( 4 , 7 )

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( 8 , -1 ) , ( 8 , 3 )

No slope  ( vertical line at x = 8 )

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( 4 , 2 ) , ( 6 , 2 )

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( 5 , -6 ) , ( 9 , -6 )

m = 0  ( horizontal line at  y = 6 )

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Do lines with a positive slope rise or decline as we look left to right?

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Do lines with a negative slope rise or decline as we look left to right?

decline

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Make a statement about the slopes of parallel lines.

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Use a calculator. Calculator problems

For the following problems, determine the slope and y -intercept of the lines. Round to two decimal places.

3.8 x + 12.1 y = 4.26

slope = 0.31 y intercept = ( 0 , 0.35 )

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8.09 x + 5.57 y = 1.42

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10.813 x 17.0 y = 45.99

slope = 0.64 y intercept = ( 0 , 2.71 )

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6.003 x 92.388 y = 0.008

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For the following problems, find the slope of the line through the pairs of points. Round to two decimal places.

( 5.56 , 9.37 ) , ( 2.16 , 4.90 )

m = 1.31

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( 33.1 , 8.9 ) , ( 42.7 , 1.06 )

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( 155.89 , 227.61 ) , ( 157.04 , 227.61 )

m = 0  ( horizontal line at  y = 227.61 )

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( 0.00426 , 0.00404 ) , ( 0.00191 , 0.00404 )

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( 88.81 , 23.19 ) , ( 88.81 , 26.87 )

No slope  ( vertical line  x = 88.81 )

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( 0.0000567 , 0.0000567 ) , ( 0.00765 , 0.00764 )

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Exercises for review

( [link] ) Simplify ( x 2 y 3 w 4 ) 0 .

1 if x y w 0

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( [link] ) Solve the equation 3 x 4 ( 2 x ) 3 ( x 2 ) + 4 = 0 .

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( [link] ) When four times a number is divided by five, and that result is decreased by eight, the result is zero. What is the original number?

10

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( [link] ) Solve 3 y + 10 = x + 2 if x = 4 .

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( [link] ) Graph the linear equation x + y = 3 .
An xy coordinate plane with gridlines, labeled negative five and five on the both axes.

A graph of a line passing through two points with coordinates three, zero and zero, three.

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Questions & Answers

how did you get 1640
Noor Reply
If auger is pair are the roots of equation x2+5x-3=0
Peter Reply
Wayne and Dennis like to ride the bike path from Riverside Park to the beach. Dennis’s speed is seven miles per hour faster than Wayne’s speed, so it takes Wayne 2 hours to ride to the beach while it takes Dennis 1.5 hours for the ride. Find the speed of both bikers.
MATTHEW Reply
420
Sharon
from theory: distance [miles] = speed [mph] × time [hours] info #1 speed_Dennis × 1.5 = speed_Wayne × 2 => speed_Wayne = 0.75 × speed_Dennis (i) info #2 speed_Dennis = speed_Wayne + 7 [mph] (ii) use (i) in (ii) => [...] speed_Dennis = 28 mph speed_Wayne = 21 mph
George
Let W be Wayne's speed in miles per hour and D be Dennis's speed in miles per hour. We know that W + 7 = D and W * 2 = D * 1.5. Substituting the first equation into the second: W * 2 = (W + 7) * 1.5 W * 2 = W * 1.5 + 7 * 1.5 0.5 * W = 7 * 1.5 W = 7 * 3 or 21 W is 21 D = W + 7 D = 21 + 7 D = 28
Salma
Devon is 32 32​​ years older than his son, Milan. The sum of both their ages is 54 54​. Using the variables d d​ and m m​ to represent the ages of Devon and Milan, respectively, write a system of equations to describe this situation. Enter the equations below, separated by a comma.
Aaron Reply
find product (-6m+6) ( 3m²+4m-3)
SIMRAN Reply
-42m²+60m-18
Salma
what is the solution
bill
how did you arrive at this answer?
bill
-24m+3+3mÁ^2
Susan
i really want to learn
Amira
I only got 42 the rest i don't know how to solve it. Please i need help from anyone to help me improve my solving mathematics please
Amira
Hw did u arrive to this answer.
Aphelele
hi
Bajemah
-6m(3mA²+4m-3)+6(3mA²+4m-3) =-18m²A²-24m²+18m+18mA²+24m-18 Rearrange like items -18m²A²-24m²+42m+18A²-18
Salma
complete the table of valuesfor each given equatio then graph. 1.x+2y=3
Jovelyn Reply
x=3-2y
Salma
y=x+3/2
Salma
Hi
Enock
given that (7x-5):(2+4x)=8:7find the value of x
Nandala
3x-12y=18
Kelvin
please why isn't that the 0is in ten thousand place
Grace Reply
please why is it that the 0is in the place of ten thousand
Grace
Send the example to me here and let me see
Stephen
A meditation garden is in the shape of a right triangle, with one leg 7 feet. The length of the hypotenuse is one more than the length of one of the other legs. Find the lengths of the hypotenuse and the other leg
Marry Reply
how far
Abubakar
cool u
Enock
state in which quadrant or on which axis each of the following angles given measure. in standard position would lie 89°
Abegail Reply
hello
BenJay
hi
Method
I am eliacin, I need your help in maths
Rood
how can I help
Sir
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Amoon
however, may I ask you some questions about Algarba?
Amoon
hi
Enock
what the last part of the problem mean?
Roger
The Jones family took a 15 mile canoe ride down the Indian River in three hours. After lunch, the return trip back up the river took five hours. Find the rate, in mph, of the canoe in still water and the rate of the current.
cameron Reply
Shakir works at a computer store. His weekly pay will be either a fixed amount, $925, or $500 plus 12% of his total sales. How much should his total sales be for his variable pay option to exceed the fixed amount of $925.
mahnoor Reply
I'm guessing, but it's somewhere around $4335.00 I think
Lewis
12% of sales will need to exceed 925 - 500, or 425 to exceed fixed amount option. What amount of sales does that equal? 425 ÷ (12÷100) = 3541.67. So the answer is sales greater than 3541.67. Check: Sales = 3542 Commission 12%=425.04 Pay = 500 + 425.04 = 925.04. 925.04 > 925.00
Munster
difference between rational and irrational numbers
Arundhati Reply
When traveling to Great Britain, Bethany exchanged $602 US dollars into £515 British pounds. How many pounds did she receive for each US dollar?
Jakoiya Reply
how to reduced echelon form
Solomon Reply
Jazmine trained for 3 hours on Saturday. She ran 8 miles and then biked 24 miles. Her biking speed is 4 mph faster than her running speed. What is her running speed?
Zack Reply
d=r×t the equation would be 8/r+24/r+4=3 worked out
Sheirtina
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Source:  OpenStax, Elementary algebra. OpenStax CNX. May 08, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10614/1.3
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