Identifying the slope of a line

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    Line Slope
In summary, the conversation discusses identifying the slope of a line using the equation y2-y1/x2-x1 and choosing accurate points on the line. The correct slope is found to be -1/2 regardless of the points chosen.
  • #1
Kirito123
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Homework Statement


identifying the slope of the line?[/B]
upload_2016-4-20_12-45-28.png


Homework Equations


y2-y1/x2-x1

The Attempt at a Solution


i chose two points on the line, the first point is (8,-3) and the second point is (-6,4). Are these points accurate?
i used the slope equation to solve for the slope of the line from the graph:
4-(-3) / -6-8 = -7/14 = -1/2

is this right?
 
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  • #2
Well done. One tip: use brackets -- not 4-(-3) / -6-8 but ( 4-(-3) ) / ( -6-8 )
 
  • #3
can the answer also be 7/-14 and 1/-2
 
  • #4
Kirito123 said:

Homework Statement


identifying the slope of the line?[/B]
View attachment 99414

Homework Equations


y2-y1/x2-x1

The Attempt at a Solution


i chose two points on the line, the first point is (8,-3) and the second point is (-6,4). Are these points accurate?
i used the slope equation to solve for the slope of the line from the graph:
4-(-3) / -6-8 = -7/14 = -1/2

is this right?



What you wrote means ##y_2 - \frac{y_1}{x_2} - x_2##, which is not correct. Did you mean ##\frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}##? If so, you need to use parentheses, like this: (y2-y1)/(x2-x1).
 
  • #5
Both of these are the same value as ##-{1\over 2}##, which is the simplest way to express that value. Whatever points you choose, you always get ## - {a\over 2a}## as a result.
 
  • #6
got it, thanks!
 
  • #7
Kirito123 said:
i chose two points on the line, the first point is (8,-3) and the second point is (-6,4). Are these points accurate?
i used the slope equation to solve for the slope of the line from the graph:
4-(-3) / -6-8 = -7/14 = -1/2

is this right?

its a straight line ,so where lies the confusion about its being wrong?
 
  • #8
i solved this question previously and got a different slope compared to what I'm getting now. Then i realized that my points were wrong when doing it the first time, so i wanted to make sure the points i chose were correct in my second attempt.
 
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Likes drvrm

What is the definition of slope?

Slope is a measure of the steepness of a line. It represents the rate of change of the dependent variable with respect to the independent variable.

How do you calculate the slope of a line?

The slope of a line is calculated by dividing the change in the y-coordinates by the change in the x-coordinates between any two points on the line. This can be represented as (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1).

What is the significance of the slope?

The slope of a line indicates the direction and magnitude of the relationship between two variables. A positive slope means that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases. A negative slope means that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases. A slope of zero means that there is no relationship between the two variables.

How do you interpret the slope of a line?

The slope of a line can be interpreted as the rate of change of the dependent variable with respect to the independent variable. For example, if the slope is 2, it means that for every one unit increase in the independent variable, the dependent variable increases by 2 units.

What is the difference between a positive and negative slope?

A positive slope means that the line is increasing from left to right, while a negative slope means that the line is decreasing from left to right. In terms of interpretation, a positive slope represents a positive relationship between the two variables, while a negative slope represents a negative relationship.

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