The slope of a line in a coordinate plane is a measure of how steep the line is. It is defined as the ratio of the vertical change (rise) to the horizontal change (run) between two points on the line. The slope is an important concept in algebra and geometry, as it describes the direction and the steepness of the line.
Formula for Calculating Slope
The slope, often denoted as ‘m’, between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) is calculated using the formula: m = (y2 – y1) / (x2 – x1).
Example 1: Calculating Slope Between Two Points
Find the slope of the line that passes through the points (1, 2) and (3, 6).
Calculation: m = (6 – 2) / (3 – 1) = 4 / 2 = 2. So, the slope of the line is 2.
Example 2: Understanding Slope on a Graph
If a line moves upwards from left to right, it has a positive slope. If it moves downwards, the slope is negative. A horizontal line has a slope of 0, and a vertical line’s slope is undefined.
The Most Popular Topics:
- Corresponding angles
- Adjacent angles
- Congruent angles
- Complementary angles
- How to multiply fractions – multiplying fractions
- How to divide fractions – dividing fractions
- How to add fractions – adding fractions
- How to subtract fractions – subtracting fractions
- How to simplify fractions – simplifying fractions
- Midpoint, midpoint formula
- Quadratic formula
- Quadratic equation
- Median – what is the median in math?
- How to find median?
- Distributive property
- Associative property
- Commutative property
- Quotient – what is a quotient?
- Quotient rule
- System of equations
- Solving system of equations
- Linear equations
- Solving equations
- Slope
- Slope formula
- Slope calculator
- Point slope formula
- Slope intercept form
- How to find slope?
- Convert fraction to decimal
- Factors of a number
- Point slope form
- Slope equation
- Domain and range
- Domain – what is domain in math?
- How to find the domain of a function?
- How to find domain and range?
- Polynomial
- Polynomial long division
- Polynomial division – dividing polynomials
- Degree of polynomial
- Factoring polynomials – how to factor polynomials?
- Perpendicular lines
- Parabola equation
- Isosceles triangle
- Perimeter of triangle
- Scalene triangle
- Obtuse triangle
- Acute triangle
- Right triangle
- Trapezoid area formula
- What is a trapezoid?
- Isosceles trapezoid
- Rectangle
- Area of a rectangle
- Perimeter of a rectangle – how to find perimeter of a rectangle?
- Pythagorean theorem
- Vertex – how to find vertex?
- Vertex form
- Vertex formula
- How to find square root of a number?
Return to MathQuadrum.com from Slope home for more topics on mathematics