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Find the equation of the line (in Slope-Intercept form) that goes through the 2 points (6,-3) and (1,2)

User Andy Cochrane
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1 Answer

16 votes
16 votes

The Slope-Intercept form of the equation of a line is:


y=mx+b

Where "m" is the slope of the line and and "b" is the y-intercept.

Knowing that the line passes through the points given in the exercise, you can find the slope with the following formula:


m=(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1)

You can set up that:


\begin{gathered} y_2=-3 \\ y_1=2 \\ x_2=6 \\ x_1=1 \end{gathered}

Then substituting values, you get:


m=(-3-2)/(6-1)=(-5)/(5)=-1

Substitute the slope and the coordinates of one of the points on the line into the equation


y=mx+b

And solve for "b":


\begin{gathered} 2=(-1)(1)+b \\ 2=-1+b \\ 2+1=b \\ b=3 \end{gathered}

Then, knowing "m" and "b", you can determine that the equation of this line in Slope-Intercept form is:


y=-x+3

User Krystian Sikora
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