Question

1. How do I find slope? What does a positive or negative slope mean?

Answer 1

The slope is calculated using (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1) and represents the rate at which y changes with respect to x. A positive slope means an upward trend, while a negative slope indicates a downward trend, with a zero slope signifying no change.

Step-by-step explanation:

Finding Slope and Understanding Its Meaning

To find the slope of a line, you calculate the change in the y-values divided by the change in the x-values between two points on the line. This formula is often represented as (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1), where (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are two distinct points on the line. A positive slope indicates that as x increases, y also increases, and the graph of the line slopes upward to the right. Conversely, a negative slope suggests that as x increases, y decreases, implying that the graph of the line slopes downward to the right. A zero slope means that the line is horizontal, indicating no change in y as x changes.

Visually, you can distinguish these by observing the angle of the line on the graph. A positive slope represents an upward trend, while a negative slope indicates a downward trend. If you imagine a climbing mountain path with a positive slope, the negative slope would resemble a skiing slope descending down the mountain. Hence, when analyzing a stock's performance, a positive slope on a stock's price over time would be preferable, as it indicates an increase in value.

Answer 2

If your looking at a graph, you find the slope by going to a random point, and using rise/run to go to the next point. A negative slope means the function is decreasing, and a positive slope means the function is increasing.