Final answer:
To write an equation in slope-intercept form for a line that passes through the points (2, 1) and (4, -3), use the formula y = mx + b. First, find the slope using the formula m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). Then, substitute the values of x, y, and m into the equation using one of the given points. Finally, solve for b to find the y-intercept.
Step-by-step explanation:
To write an equation in slope-intercept form for a line that passes through the points (2, 1) and (4, -3), we can use the formula y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept.
First, we need to find the slope by using the formula m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). Plugging in the values, we have m = (-3 - 1) / (4 - 2) = -4/2 = -2.
Next, we can choose one of the points (2, 1) and substitute the values of x, y, and m into the equation. Using the point (2, 1), we get 1 = -2(2) + b. Solving for b, we have b = 1 + 4 = 5.
So, the equation in slope-intercept form is y = -2x + 5.