Question

Find the slope of the line graphed below

Answer 1

We are given two points: (-1, -1) and (1, -4). Slope is calculated as the change in y over the change in x, or rise over run.

The change in y is the difference of the two y coordinates (it doesn't matter the order): -1 - (-4) = 3

The change in x is the difference of the two x coordinates (this order depends on the order that you subtracted the y coordinates; they must be the same order): -1 - 1 = -2.

So, the slope is 3/-2

Answer 2

To find the slope of a line, we need to know the slope formula. The slope formula is:

m = $\frac{y_{1}-y}{x_{1}-x}$, with m being the slope and (x₁, y₁) being the coordinates of one point and (x, y) being the coordinates of the other. Now we can substitute the values of the points in our problem ( (-1,-1) and (1, -4) ) into the slope formula. Substituting, we get:

$\frac{-1-(-4)}{-1-1}$=

=$\frac{3}{-2}$=

=-1.5

That means the slope of our line is -1.5