When solving for slope intercept form, some key words to look for are:
• “per”
• “initial”
• “additional”
When applying the formula of y = mx + b, we never actually use y unless a value is substituted for it. The variable “m” is representative of the slope, “x” is representative of the x-value, and “b” is representative of the initial value, which is another phrase for the “y-intercept.”
Let’s set up an example situation:
Charlie charges $15 per hour for tutoring and an additional $5.
In this equation, $5 is the initial value and $15 is the rate of how much Charlie charges hourly. The keyword “per” shows the unit rate and the keyword “additional” shows an initial value of $5.
The proper equation of this situation would be:
y = 15x + 5