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Questions and Answers
What does the slope of a line indicate?
What does the slope of a line indicate?
Steepness or gradation of the line between two points
How is the slope of a straight line calculated?
How is the slope of a straight line calculated?
m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)
What does a positive slope indicate?
What does a positive slope indicate?
Line slanting upward from left to right
If a line has a negative slope, how does it slant?
If a line has a negative slope, how does it slant?
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Describe a line with zero slope.
Describe a line with zero slope.
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What is the slope of a line with undefined slope?
What is the slope of a line with undefined slope?
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Study Notes
Slope of a Line
Slope is a concept used in mathematics to describe the steepness or gradation of a line between two points. It is a measure of how much a function y = f(x) changes with respect to x. In practical terms, it represents the rate of change of one variable relative to another.
Calculating Slope
The slope of a straight line can be calculated using the formula: m = (y_2 - y_1) / (x_2 - x_1). Here, m is the slope, and (x_1, y_1) and (x_2, y_2) represent the coordinates of any two distinct points on the line. This formula gives the slope of the line connecting these two points.
Positive Slope
A positive slope indicates that the line is slanting upward from left to right when viewed from above. In other words, if the change in y increases as we move along the x-axis, then the slope is positive. For example, the equation y = 3x + 4 has a slope of 3 because every step to the right corresponds to three steps up.
Negative Slope
If the line is sloping downward from left to right, indicating a decrease in y values as we move along the x-axis, then the slope is negative. For instance, the equation y = -2x - 5 has a slope of -2 because every step to the right corresponds to two steps down.
Zero Slope
A line with zero slope is called a horizontal line because there is no vertical movement or change of y values. A graph of such a line would show all points lying exactly on the x-axis. An example of a line with a zero slope is y = 6x because every point moves parallel to the x-axis without any vertical displacement since the y-values remain constant.
Undefined Slope
In certain cases, the slope of a line might be undefined. For example, if the line is vertical (e.g., y = 4x), it does not move along the x-axis, and the denominator (x_2 - x_1) becomes zero. In such cases, the slope is undefined, and we cannot calculate it using the standard formula.
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Description
Learn about the concept of slope, how to calculate it using coordinates, and the different types of slopes including positive, negative, zero, and undefined. This quiz covers the basics of slope in mathematics and its implications in representing the steepness or rate of change of a line.
