Final answer:
To find the equation of a line when given two points, calculate the slope and substitute it along with one of the points into the slope-intercept form y = mx + b to solve for the y-intercept.
Step-by-step explanation:
The b term in the equation for a straight line is called the y-intercept. It represents the point where the line intersects the y-axis when x = 0. For example, if the line hits the vertical axis at 9, then the y-intercept is 9.
The m term in the equation for a straight line is called the slope. The slope is defined as the change in the vertical axis divided by the change in the horizontal axis. For example, if each time the x term increases by one (the run), the y term rises by three, then the slope of the line is three.
To find the equation of a line when given two points, you first calculate the slope using the formula (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). Then, substitute the values of the slope (m), one of the points (x1, y1), and solve for the y-intercept (b) using the slope-intercept form of the equation y = mx + b. This will give you the equation of the line.