The slope of a line is a measure of how steep it is. It tells you the rate at which the line is rising or falling. The slope is represented by the letter "m." To calculate the slope of a line, you need to know two points on the line. Let's say you have the coordinates (x1, y1) and (x2, y2). The slope formula is:
m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)
Here's how you can find the slope using this formula:
1. Identify the coordinates of two points on the line.
2. Subtract the y-coordinates to find the difference in the vertical distance: (y2 - y1).
3. Subtract the x-coordinates to find the difference in the horizontal distance: (x2 - x1).
4. Divide the difference in the vertical distance by the difference in the horizontal distance: (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1).
5. The resulting value is the slope of the line.
Keep in mind that the slope can be positive, negative, or zero, depending on the direction of the line. A positive slope indicates the line is going up from left to right, a negative slope indicates the line is going down from left to right, and a slope of zero represents a horizontal line.