Question 127·Easy·Linear Equations in Two Variables
In the -plane, a line passes through the points and . Which of the following is an equation of this line?
For line-through-two-points questions, first compute the slope quickly with , then plug that slope and one of the points into (or point-slope form) to solve for the y-intercept. Once you have an equation, verify it with the second point or by comparing directly to the answer choices; alternatively, you can sometimes save time by plugging the given points into each choice and eliminating any equation that does not satisfy both coordinates.
Hints
Start with the slope
Use the slope formula for the points and . What value do you get for ?
Use slope-intercept form
Once you know the slope , plug it into and substitute one of the points (for example, ) to solve for , the y-intercept.
Verify with the second point
After you find a candidate equation, substitute the other point into it. The correct equation must work for both points.
Desmos Guide
Graph all four answer choices
In Desmos, type each option as its own equation line: y = 3x - 10, y = (1/3)x + 10/3, y = 3x + 10, and y = (1/3)x - 10/3. You will see four different lines on the coordinate plane.
Plot the given points
On new lines, type (4, -2) and (10, 0) to plot these as points. Two dots should appear on the graph at those coordinates.
Identify the matching line
Look at the four lines and see which one passes exactly through both plotted points (4, -2) and (10, 0). The equation of that line is the correct answer choice.
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the slope of the line
Use the slope formula with the two given points.
Take and , so .
So the line’s slope is .
Use a point to find the y-intercept
Start with slope-intercept form , using .
Substitute the point into the equation: , so .
Solve for : . Thus the y-intercept is .
Write the equation and match it to a choice
Substitute and into to get the line’s equation: .
Check with the other point : , so lies on this line as well.
Therefore, the correct answer is , which corresponds to choice D.