Question

Maria, Jose, Michael and Jeffrey are working together. They need to find the slope of th line passing through (7,3) and (5,9). Each person wants to solve the problem differently. Here’s how Jose wants to solve the problem (9-3)/5-7

Here’s, what Michael wants to do (3-9)/7-5
Here’s what Jeffrey wants to do (3-9)/5-7
Here’s how Maria wants to solve the problem (9-3)/7-5
Who is correct? Explain Explanation

Answer 1

In finding the slope of a line between two points, both Michael and Maria are correct by using the formula (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1), resulting in a slope of 3. Jose and Jeffrey's methods are incorrect due to the wrong order of subtraction for the x-coordinates.

Step-by-step explanation:

The task is to find the slope of the line passing through the points (7,3) and (5,9). The slope formula is m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1), where (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are coordinates of two distinct points on the line.

Jose's method is incorrect because he uses the subtraction in the wrong order for the x-coordinates. Michael's method calculates the slope correctly with (3-9)/(7-5), which simplifies to -6/2 = -3. Jeffrey's method has the same issue as Jose's. Maria's method also calculates the slope correctly with (9-3)/(7-5), which simplifies to 6/2 = 3.

So, both Michael and Maria are correct. It is important to follow the correct order when subtracting coordinates to find the slope, keeping in mind that the rise (change in y) should be divided by the run (change in x), and the coordinates should be consistent with their position (first or second point).