Question

I really need help!
What is the slope of the line? http://static.k12.com/calms_media/media/1417000_1417500/1417242/1/78bd85d6763d76c1b7292055c9bcc3f181e566e1/MS_PA_130905_170048.jpg
A:-1/7
B:1/7
C:-1
D:1

Answer 1

Do you know the formula for slope?

Answer 2

Isn't it (x2*y2) and (x1*y1)?

Answer 3

\[\frac{ y _{2} - y_{1} }{ x_{2} - x_{1} }\]

Answer 4

(-5, 4)
x1, y1

(2, -3)
x2, y2

So you're going to plug those values into the formula

Answer 5

Ohh so it's -5-2/4-(-3)=-1?

Answer 6

I think you did it backwards.

x1 = -5
x2 = 2

y1 = 4
y2 = -3

Answer 7

then it's -5-4/2-(-3)=-1.8?

Answer 8

The slope is -1. You did it correctly

Answer 9

The points are interchangeable. (-5,4) doesn't have to be point 1

Answer 10

Also, another way to find the slope is to look at the graph

Answer 11

When you move once to the left, you move once up

Answer 12

slope = rise/run
slope = -1/1
slope = -1

Answer 13

He was correct but he did it incorrectly. If it had been any other value he would have been wrong, because he put the x-values in where the y-values should have gone.

Answer 14

Ya you can make point 1 and point 2 whichever you want. Just don't mix them up like you do when you wrote n it's -5-4/2-(-3)=-1.8?

Answer 15

Oh, wait I did it wrong? And I'm female.

Answer 16

The first attempt you did it correctly.
This part you didn't do correctly because you mixed up the x's and y's.

Answer 17

Yes, but my point is, you made the formula look like this:
x2-x1/y2-y1
The formula is y2-y1/x2-x1

Answer 18

Sure but you can assign (x1,y1) to any point on the graph. Doesn't have to be one particular point

Answer 19

and (x2,y2)

Answer 20

I see then

Answer 21

No, she did the process incorrectly the first time because she stuck the x-values in the y-places. The only reason why she got it right is because it came out to -1

Answer 22

I'm not saying that you can't reverse them, I'm saying you can't put any x-value into the numerator and expect to get the right answer

Answer 23

Oh

Answer 24

Ahiru
Ohh so it's -5-2/4-(-3)=-1?

You could do
(-5, 4) x1, y1 (2, -3) x2, y2
or
(-5, 4) x2, y2 (2, -3) x1, y1

But you plugged in x-values for the numerator

Answer 25

Oh ok! So it should only be x,y instead of x,x or y,y?

Answer 26

Yes. The points are always (x, y) values

Answer 27

So it'll look like
(x, y)
(x, y)
And you can put these in either order using the slope formula, so long as the numerator has the y-values and the denominator has the x-values

Answer 28

Kk, but how do you know when to use - or +?

Answer 29

As in when you have two negative numbers?

Answer 30

No like this equation how did you know to subtract x,y and not add?

Answer 31

It's just the formula. If you have this:

3-(-4), the rules of algebra say it will be 3+4 because two negatives make a positive

Answer 32

Alright, thank you so much for all your help!!

Answer 33

You're welcome!