Question 79·Easy·Linear Equations in Two Variables
Which of the following equations represents the line that passes through the points and in the -plane?
For a line determined by two points on the SAT, first compute the slope using , paying close attention to signs. Then plug this slope into , substitute the coordinates of one of the points to solve for , and write the final equation. As a quick check, substitute the other point into your equation to confirm it works before matching to the answer choices.
Hints
Start with the slope
Use the slope formula with and . Be careful with the order of subtraction so you keep the correct sign.
Use slope-intercept form
Once you know the slope , plug it into and then substitute the coordinates of one of the points to solve for .
Check both points
After you find an equation, plug in both and to make sure they satisfy it. Then match your equation to one of the answer choices.
Desmos Guide
Plot the two given points
In Desmos, type (2,3) on one line and (6,1) on the next line. Desmos will plot these as two points on the coordinate plane.
Graph each answer choice as a separate line
On new lines, enter each option exactly: y=2x-1, y=-1/2x+4, y=-2x+7, and y=1/2x+2. You will see four different lines.
Identify the line passing through both points
Look at which one of the four lines goes through both plotted points and . The equation of that line is the correct answer choice.
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the slope between the two points
Use the slope formula with points and :
So the slope of the line is .
Write the slope-intercept form with an unknown intercept
The slope-intercept form of a line is , where is the slope and is the -intercept.
We already found , so the equation becomes
Now we just need to find .
Substitute one of the given points to find b
Use either point; take . Substitute and into :
Compute to simplify and then solve for .
Solve for b and match the equation to a choice
From the previous step:
Add to both sides:
So the equation of the line is
which matches choice B.