Question

Which expression can be used to determine the slope of the line that passes through the points (–7, 3) and (1, –9)?

Answer 1

The distance formula is one method

The change in y over the change in x equals the slope.

(-7, 3) & (1, -9)

To get from 1 to -7 you subtract 8
To get from -9 to 3 you add 12

12/-8 reduces to 3/-2

The slope is 3/-2

Answer 2

To determine the slope, you can use the following formula:

(y2-y1)/(x2-x1)