Final answer:
The slope formula is used to compute the rise over the run between two points on a line, with the slope (m) being (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). The term 'm' refers to the slope in the linear equation y = mx + b, while 'b' is the y-intercept.
Step-by-step explanation:
The slope of a straight line is calculated using the slope formula, which is the difference in the y-values (the rise) divided by the difference in x-values (the run). When we have two points on a line, point one with coordinates (x1, y1) and point two with coordinates (x2, y2), the slope (m) is computed as follows: m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). This calculation represents the rate of change along the straight line.
In the equation of a line, y = mx + b, 'm' represents the slope, while 'b' signifies the y-intercept, which is where the line crosses the y-axis. To provide an example, if we were to calculate the slope of a line representing air density at different altitudes, we would select two points on the graph (like altitudes of 4,000 meters and 6,000 meters) and use their corresponding air density values to calculate the rise over the run.