Question 37·Easy·Linear Equations in Two Variables
Which of the following is an equation of the line that passes through the points and in the -plane?
For “equation of a line through two points” questions, quickly compute the slope using , then plug that slope and one point into (or point-slope form) to solve for . Finally, write the equation in slope-intercept form and match it to the choices, and if you have time, verify by plugging the second point into your equation to check for arithmetic or sign mistakes.
Hints
Start with the slope
To write the equation of a line from two points, first find the slope using .
Use a familiar form
Once you know the slope, put it into the slope-intercept form and use one of the points to find .
Check your work against the points
After you get an equation, plug in both given points to make sure they satisfy the equation (both and should work).
Desmos Guide
Enter the given points
In Desmos, click the "+" icon, choose "Table," and enter -values and with corresponding -values and to plot the points and .
Graph each answer choice
In separate lines, type each option exactly as written: y = 2x + 7, y = 1/2 x - 7, y = -2x - 7, and y = 2x - 7. Desmos will graph four lines.
See which line passes through both points
Look at the graph and identify which of the four lines goes exactly through both plotted points and . The corresponding equation is the correct answer.
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the slope between the two points
Use the slope formula for a line through and :
Here and , so
So the slope of the line is .
Use slope-intercept form with the slope
The slope-intercept form of a line is
where is the slope and is the -intercept.
Substitute into this form:
Plug in a point to solve for the y-intercept
Use either of the given points to find . Let's use .
Substitute and into :
Simplify:
Subtract from both sides:
So the -intercept is .
Write the equation and match it to a choice
Now substitute back into :
Compare with the answer choices; this matches choice D) .