Final answer:
The equation of the line that passes through the points (-5,-8) and (5,4) is calculated by finding the slope, which is 6/5, and then using the point-slope form to arrive at the final equation y = (6/5)x - 2.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the equation of the line that passes through the points (-5,-8) and (5,4), we first need to determine the slope of the line. The slope, m, is calculated by the difference in y-coordinates divided by the difference in x-coordinates:
m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1) = (4 - (-8)) / (5 - (-5)) = 12 / 10 = 6 / 5
With the slope known, we can use the point-slope form of a line, which is y - y1 = m(x - x1). Plugging in one of the points, for example (-5, -8), we get:
y - (-8) = (6/5)(x - (-5))
Simplifying the equation:
y + 8 = (6/5)x + 6
Finally, to get the equation in slope-intercept form (y = mx + b), we isolate y:
y = (6/5)x - 2
This is the equation of the line passing through the given points.