Question

What is the slope of the line represented by the equation y - (-9) = - 1/2 (x - 6)?

1) m = x
2) m = -9
3) m = 6
4) m = -1/2

Answer 1

The slope of the line is -1/2, as it is the coefficient of the (x - 6) in the point-slope form equation y - (-9) = -1/2 (x - 6).

Step-by-step explanation:

The slope of the line represented by the equation y - (-9) = -1/2 (x - 6) can be determined by recognizing that this equation is in point-slope form, which is y - y1 = m(x - x1), where m represents the slope of the line, and (x1, y1) represents a specific point on the line. In this case, the slope m is -1/2, which directly corresponds to the coefficient of the (x - 6) expression. This is based on the principle that the slope of a line, or m, is defined as the 'rise over run,' or the change in y (the vertical axis) over the change in x (the horizontal axis).