Final answer:
The student's question pertains to finding the equation of a straight line given a slope of 3/5 and a point on the line (0, -2), which also stands as the y-intercept. Using the slope-intercept form, y = mx + b, the equation of the line is y = (3/5)x - 2.
Step-by-step explanation:
When we talk about the slope and the algebra of straight lines, we are typically trying to write the equation of the line in slope-intercept form, which is y = mx + b, where m represents the slope of the line, and b is the y-intercept. The slope indicates how steep the line is, and the y-intercept tells us where the line crosses the y-axis.
In this case, the student is provided with a slope of 3/5 and a point through which the line passes, which is (0, -2). Because the x-coordinate of the point is 0, we actually have the y-intercept of the line, making the y-intercept b = -2. Therefore, the equation of the line is y = (3/5)x - 2.
To illustrate this with an example, let's consider Figure A1 which might describe a line with a slope of 3 and a y-intercept of 9. In this scenario, the equation of the line would be y = 3x + 9. The principles are the same, where the slope (m) and the y-intercept (b) shape the graph of the line.