Final answer:
To determine if a graph is increasing or decreasing, look at the slope of the graph. A positive slope indicates an increasing graph, while a negative slope indicates a decreasing graph. Use the formula slope = (change in y)/(change in x) to calculate the slope.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to determine if a graph is increasing or decreasing, you need to look at the slope of the graph. The slope of a graph represents the rate of change between two points. If the slope is positive, the graph is increasing. If the slope is negative, the graph is decreasing. If the slope is zero, the graph is horizontal.
To find the slope of a graph, you can choose two points on the graph and use the formula: slope = (change in y)/(change in x). If the slope is greater than zero, the graph is increasing. If the slope is less than zero, the graph is decreasing.
For example, let's say we have a graph representing the number of hours studied versus the grade earned on a test. If the slope of the graph is positive, it means that as the number of hours studied increases, the grade earned on the test also increases. If the slope is negative, it means that as the number of hours studied increases, the grade earned on the test decreases.