Final answer:
The slope of a line represents the steepness or rate of change, while the y-intercept represents the value of the dependent variable when the independent variable is zero.
Step-by-step explanation:
The slope of a line represents the steepness or the rate of change of the line. It tells us how the dependent variable (y) changes for every one-unit increase in the independent variable (x). For example, if the slope is 3, it means that for every one-unit increase in x, y increases by 3 units.
The y-intercept of a line represents the value of the dependent variable (y) when the independent variable (x) is zero. It does not provide information about time or maximum height. In the context of climbing a rock formation, it could represent the initial height the team starts climbing at.