Question

How do you find the value of b?
The line through the points (-5, -5) and (4,b) with the slope - 1/4.

Answer 1

well since you know that slope is \[\frac{ \Delta y }{ \Delta x }\]
you know that for every y it goes down it goes over four x

Answer 2

so you reverse this since you are going from a negative x to a positive x so for every 4 you go over you go up one x

Answer 3

so -5+4=-1 and then up one on the y -5+1=-4 so you next point is (-1,-4)

Answer 4

so you do this until you reach the value of 4 for you x value

Answer 5

so what do you think b is?

Answer 6

I wasn't sure because my equation was
-1(b+5)/9 = 9(-1/4)

Answer 7

yeah I have no clue where that equation came from it is just simpler to use the method I just described

Answer 8

I don't quite understand your method

Answer 9

so you know that slope is change in y over change in x right

Answer 10

yes

Answer 11

since i tend to misplace values, I just move the points ... place one of them at the origin

(-5, -5) and (4 , b)
+5 +5 +5 +5
-----------------
0 , 0 9, b+5
^^^^^
i can use this to define the slope, y/x
slope = (b+5)/9 and equate that with
the given slope to solve for b

Answer 12

I got the answer -29/4

Answer 13

yes