Can somebody give me an easy explanation of how to find slope of a line?

Question

Please I need it for an algebra packet and the explanation is very unclear. If you give an example of slope also I'll give you best answer with 5 stars.

Answer 1

Slope is simply how steep a line is. It's also called "rise over run" or y/x. That means when you go from one point on the line to another point, it's how many places up or down (y) you go, over how many places you go left or right (x).

If a line's slope is 1/2, it means to get from point A to point B on the line, you go up 1 and over 2.

If an equation is written in slope-intercept form (y = mx + b), whatever number m is, is the slope, and b is the point where the line will cross the y axis (the vertical/up and down line).

Example:  y = 3x  +  5

slope = 3,  y-intercept =5

It's really hard to explain without being able to include a picture, so I'll give you a link to a good tutorial.  

Answer 2

If you have 2 coordinates (x1, x2) and (y1,y2)

x2 -- x1

----------

y2 -- y1

will give you slope. You can also think of it as rise over run.  

Answer 3

y= mx + b

m = slope

b = y-intercept

Example #1,

y= 2x + 3 <---- The slope is 2, (also 2/1) (rise over run)

Example #2

y=1/2x + 2 <---- The slope is 1/2

If you have 2 points in a line and no equation, the formula is

(y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)

Example #1:  (remember, its  (x , y)

2 sets of points, (4, 2) and (5, 3)

Lets call (4, 2) set #1 and (5, 3) set #2

so y2 would be 3 and y1 would be 2

x2 would be 5, x1 would be 4

so...

3 - 2 = 1,         5-4 = 1

which gives you 1/1, which is = to 1

slope = 1

therefore, y = 1x + b

but since you don't need to show the 1, its

y = x + b

(if you need help finding b, let me know

Answer 4

Here is a helpful site with pictures... http://www.mathwarehouse.com/algebra/lin...    

Just remember the triangle means change

Answer 5

actually its

(y2 -y1)/ (x2-x1)