Question 109·Easy·Linear Equations in Two Variables
In the -plane, line passes through the point and has a slope of . Which equation represents line ?
For line-equation questions where you are given a slope and a point, quickly write , plug in the given slope for , then substitute the point’s and values to solve for . On multiple-choice questions, you can also save time by first eliminating any options with the wrong slope, then plugging the given point into the remaining equations to see which one makes the equation true.
Hints
Recall the form of a line
Think about the slope-intercept form of a line: how do you write an equation when you know the slope and the -intercept?
Plug in the slope
You know the slope is . Replace in with so your equation has only one unknown, .
Use the point to solve for
The line passes through , so when , . Substitute these into your equation and solve for .
Check against the choices
Once you know the slope and , write the full equation and see which answer choice matches it exactly.
Desmos Guide
Enter the answer choice lines
Type each option into its own Desmos line: y=2x-8, y=-2x-4, y=2x+8, and y=-2x+8 so you can see all four lines on the same graph.
Plot the given point
In a new line, type (3,2) to plot the point that the correct line must pass through.
Check slope and point match visually
Look for the line that both (1) slopes downward from left to right (negative slope) and (2) passes exactly through the point . The equation of that line is the correct answer.
Step-by-step Explanation
Write the general slope-intercept form
Any non-vertical line can be written in slope-intercept form as
where is the slope and is the -intercept.
Substitute the given slope
You are told the slope of line is , so replace with :
Now you only need to find the value of .
Use the given point to find
The point lies on the line, so when , must equal . Substitute and into :
Compute :
Add to both sides to solve for :
Write the final equation and match the choice
Substitute back into the equation:
So the equation of line is , which corresponds to choice D.