Question

What is the slope of the line that passes through the points (1, 3) and (5, –2)?

A. -5/4
B. -4/5
C.4/5
D. 5/4

Answer 1

The slope of the line through points (x1,y1) and (x2,y2) is given by :
\(\huge m=\frac{y_1-y_2}{x_1-x_2}\)
now,just put the values and find m.

Answer 2

Slope is all about differences.
Specifically, it is the quotient of the difference in the y-values and the difference in the x-values...

What are your y-values?

Answer 3

I don't understand.

Answer 4

>:)

Each point has two coordinates, the left x-coordinate, and the right y-coordinate, yes?

What are your two y-coordinates?

Answer 5

1, 3 and 5, -2?

Answer 6

Just the y-coordinates, sport.

The ones on the right.

Answer 7

3 and -2?

Answer 8

That's right, so what's their difference?
(Hint: Subtract them)

Answer 9

-5

Answer 10

Oh okay...
put that to one side for now.

What are your x-coordinates? (left-coordinates this time)

Answer 11

1 and 5

Answer 12

Good. Their difference?

Answer 13

Is it 1 - 5 or 5 - 1? I get two different answers.

Answer 14

Very perceptive.
You have two points, right?
Let's just call them your first point (1,3) and your second point (5,-2)

When you subtracted the y-coordinates, you decided to subtract the first point from the second
-2 - 3 = -5
which is all fine, AS LONG AS YOU REMAIN CONSISTENT.

Now that you're subtracting the x-coordinates, you no longer have the freedom of choice, you MUST subtract the first point from the second point.

Answer 15

Get it?
So is it 1-5 or 5-1?