Finding the Slope of a Line
The slope of a line is calculated using the formula m = y2−y1/x2−x1, where (x₁,y₁) and (x₂,y₂) are two points on the line. This formula helps us determine how much y changes compared to x.
When working with slope calculations, pay attention to negative signs. Remember that subtracting a negative number is the same as adding a positive number. For example, when calculating 3-(-4), it equals 3+4=7.
After finding your slope, you might need to reduce the fraction to simplest form. If both numbers are even, they're divisible by 2. For instance, if you get m = -8/-4, reduce by dividing both numbers by 4 to get m = 2/1 = 2.
💡 Quick Tip: A horizontal line (flat line) always has a slope of zero, while a vertical line has an undefined slope. This happens because the denominator in the slope formula becomes zero for vertical lines, and dividing by zero is undefined in mathematics.