Final answer:
The slope of the tangent to the curve y = 7/x at x = a > 0 is -7/a².
Step-by-step explanation:
The slope, m, of the tangent to the curve y = 7/x at the point a where x = a > 0 can be found by taking the derivative of the function and evaluating it at x = a. The derivative of y = 7/x is dy/dx = -7/x². Substituting x = a into the derivative, we get the slope of the tangent as m = -7/a².