Question 71·Medium·Linear Equations in Two Variables
In the -plane, the line represented by
is graphed. What is the slope of the line?
When asked for the slope from an equation, quickly rewrite the equation in slope-intercept form by simplifying (distribute, combine like terms) and then isolating . The slope is simply the coefficient of , so avoid extra work like plotting points; focus on careful algebra and sign handling to get by itself and then read off the slope directly.
Hints
Clear the parentheses
First, get rid of the parentheses by distributing to both and in the expression .
Get by itself
After simplifying, try to rearrange the equation so that all terms are on one side and everything else is on the other side, then divide to solve for .
Use slope-intercept form
Remember that when a line is written as , the slope of the line is the number multiplying . Make the equation look like this form.
Desmos Guide
Graph and read the slope from Desmos
Type the equation exactly as given: 5y - 2(3x - 4) = 10. Desmos will rewrite it in the form y = mx + b; the slope is the coefficient of x in that rewritten equation.
Step-by-step Explanation
Distribute to remove parentheses
Start with the equation:
Distribute to both terms inside the parentheses:
So the equation becomes:
Rearrange and isolate the term with
Move the constant term on the left to the right side by subtracting from both sides:
Now add to both sides so the -term is on the right:
Solve for and read the slope
Divide every term by to solve for :
In slope-intercept form , the slope is the coefficient of . Here, the slope is .