Final answer:
Lines a and b have different slopes of 3 and -4, respectively. Therefore, they are neither parallel nor coinciding; they will intersect at one point.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine whether the lines given by the sets of points intersect, are parallel, or coincide, we must first calculate the slope of each line. Then we can compare the slopes to decide the relationship between the lines.
For line a, passing through points (1,5) and (4,14), the slope m is calculated by the formula m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). So, m = (14 - 5) / (4 - 1) = 9 / 3 = 3.
For line b, passing through points (-2,5) and (6,-27), the slope m is calculated similarly: m = (-27 - 5) / (6 - (-2)) = -32 / 8 = -4.
Since the slopes of line a and line b are not equal, they are not parallel or coinciding lines. With different slopes, we can conclude that they will intersect at a single point.