Final answer:
To solve for the slope m given the point (4,7) and y-intercept b = 12, we substitute the values into the equation y = mx + b to get 7 = m(4) + 12. After isolating m, we find that m = -1.25.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the slope m when the coordinates of the point are (4,7) and b = 12, we use the linear equation y = mx + b. We know the y-intercept b and the coordinates (x, y), so we can substitute these values into the equation to solve for m.
The equation becomes 7 = m(4) + 12. To solve for m, we first subtract 12 from both sides to isolate the term with m on one side of the equation: 7 - 12 = m(4), which simplifies to -5 = 4m. Next, we divide both sides of the equation by 4 to solve for m: m = -5 / 4, giving us m = -1.25.