Question

What is the slope of the line passing through the following points: `(2, -3) , (4, -8)`?

Answer 1

slope `=-5/2`

Explanation:

To calculate the slope use the `color(blue)"gradient formula"`

`color(red)(|bar(ul(color(white)(a/a)color(black)(m=(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1))color(white)(a/a)|)))`
where `(x_1,y_1)" and " (x_2,y_2)" are 2 points"`

The 2 points here are (2 ,-3) and (4 ,-8)

let `(x_1,y_1)=(2,-3)" and " (x_2,y_2)=(4,-8)`

`rArrm=(-8-(-3))/(4-2)=(-5)/2=-5/2`

Since the slope is negative this means that the line is sloping downwards from left to right.