Rate of Change or Slope
This page introduces the concept of slope as a rate of change in mathematics. It explains various ways to express and calculate slope, focusing on the "rise over run" method.
Definition: Slope is the ratio of a line's vertical change compared to its horizontal change.
The page presents multiple representations of slope:
• As a ratio of rise to run
• As "change in y over change in x"
• Using the mathematical formula m = Δy / Δx
Vocabulary: Rise refers to the vertical change, while run refers to the horizontal change.
The document then provides a step-by-step guide for finding slope using two points:
- Label the first ordered pair as (x₁, y₁)
- Label the second ordered pair as (x₂, y₂)
- Substitute values into the slope formula and solve
Example: For points (4,4) and (0,1), the slope is calculated as m = (1-4) / (0-4) = -3/4
The page concludes with two more examples, demonstrating how to calculate slope for different sets of points, including cases resulting in negative slopes.
Highlight: Understanding how to calculate slope is crucial for analyzing linear relationships and graphing lines.