What are all of the elements necessary to determine the equation of a line? writing a paper, any ideas?

Question

anonymous · Answer

To determine the equation of a line, the two things you must need to find are:

1) slope of line
2) Any one point on the line

Note: if the slope hasn't been given to you, you need at least 2 points along the line to find the slope.

mary.rojas · Answer

so talk about how i can find slope by looking at a graph, the b (y=mx+b), y intercepts, x intercepts, and idk what else

anonymous · Answer

Do you have a graph of the line?

anonymous · Answer

Do you know two points along the line? For example (3,1) and (-8,10) ? Have any been given?

mary.rojas · Answer

see thats what i dont get. our question is imply that:What are all of the elements necessary to determine the equation of a line? I guess it is up to us on how far we go. We can add a picture so I think I will add a simple graphed line

anonymous · Answer

Well, obviously you cannot determine an equation of the line if you only have one point.

So, how i would explain it is by saying that you need any two points of the line.

Lets say (0,0) and (2,6).

To find the slope you use to formula  y2-y1  /  x2 - x1

= 6/2 = 3

Therefore, m=3

So in  y=mx+c

y = 3x + c

To find c, simply substitute a point in the graph:

0=3(0) + c
therefore c = 0

therefore equation is y=3x

mary.rojas · Answer

ahhhhh got you! Thank you, I will go with that route.

anonymous · Answer

Another way you can find the equation of the line is with the formula

y - y1  = m (x - x1) 

So here, just substitute the slope as m and the point (2,6) into (x1, y1) and you will get the same answer.

I like this method as it is quicker.

anonymous · Answer

@Thatyoungbuttercup