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In the following exercises, find the slope of each line.

Use the Slope Formula to find the Slope of a Line between Two Points

In the following exercises, use the slope formula to find the slope of the line between each pair of points.

( 1 , 4 ) , ( 3 , 9 )

5 2

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( 0 , 3 ) , ( 4 , 6 )

3 4

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( 2 , 5 ) , ( 4 , 0 )

5 2

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( −3 , 3 ) , ( 4 , −5 )

8 7

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( −2 , 4 ) , ( 3 , −1 )

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( −1 , −2 ) , ( 2 , 5 )

7 3

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( −2 , −1 ) , ( 6 , 5 )

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( 4 , −5 ) , ( 1 , −2 )

−1

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( 3 , −6 ) , ( 2 , −2 )

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Graph a Line Given a Point and the Slope

In the following exercises, graph each line with the given point and slope.

( −3 , 4 ) ; m = 3 2

The graph shows the x y coordinate plane. The x and y-axes run from negative 12 to 12. A line passes through the points (negative 3, 4) and (negative 1, 1).

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( −2 , 5 ) ; m = 5 4

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( −1 , −4 ) ; m = 4 3

The graph shows the x y coordinate plane. The x and y-axes run from negative 12 to 12. A line passes through the points (negative 1, negative 4) and intercepts the x-axis at (2, 0).

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( −3 , −5 ) ; m = 3 2

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y -intercept 3; m = 2 5

The graph shows the x y coordinate plane. The x and y-axes run from negative 12 to 12. A line intercepts the y-axis at (0, 3) and passes through the point (5, 1).

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y -intercept 5; m = 4 3

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x -intercept −2 ; m = 3 4

The graph shows the x y coordinate plane. The x and y-axes run from negative 12 to 12. A line intercepts the x-axis at (negative 2, 0) and passes through the point (2, 3).

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x -intercept −1 ; m = 1 5

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Everyday math

Slope of a roof. An easy way to determine the slope of a roof is to set one end of a 12 inch level on the roof surface and hold it level. Then take a tape measure or ruler and measure from the other end of the level down to the roof surface. This will give you the slope of the roof. Builders, sometimes, refer to this as pitch and state it as an “ x 12 pitch” meaning x 12 , where x is the measurement from the roof to the level—the rise. It is also sometimes stated as an “ x -in-12 pitch”.

  1. What is the slope of the roof in this picture?
  2. What is the pitch in construction terms?
    This figure shows one side of a sloped roof of a house. The rise of the roof is labeled “4 inches” and the run of the roof is labeled “12 inches”.

1 3 4 12 pitch or 4-in-12 pitch

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The slope of the roof shown here is measured with a 12” level and a ruler. What is the slope of this roof?

This figure shows one side of a sloped roof of a house. The rise of the roof is measured with a ruler and shown to be 7 inches. The run of the roof is measured with a twelve inch level and shown to be 12 inches.
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Road grade. A local road has a grade of 6%. The grade of a road is its slope expressed as a percent. Find the slope of the road as a fraction and then simplify. What rise and run would reflect this slope or grade?

3 50 ; rise = 3, run = 50

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Highway grade. A local road rises 2 feet for every 50 feet of highway.

What is the slope of the highway?
The grade of a highway is its slope expressed as a percent. What is the grade of this highway?

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Wheelchair ramp. The rules for wheelchair ramps require a maximum 1-inch rise for a 12-inch run.

How long must the ramp be to accommodate a 24-inch rise to the door?
Create a model of this ramp.

288 inches (24 feet)  Models will vary.

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Wheelchair ramp. A 1-inch rise for a 16-inch run makes it easier for the wheelchair rider to ascend a ramp.

How long must a ramp be to easily accommodate a 24-inch rise to the door?
Create a model of this ramp.

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Writing exercises

What does the sign of the slope tell you about a line?

When the slope is a positive number the line goes up from left to right. When the slope is a negative number the line goes down from left to right.

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How does the graph of a line with slope m = 1 2 differ from the graph of a line with slope m = 2 ?

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Why is the slope of a vertical line “undefined”?

A vertical line has 0 run and since division by 0 is undefined the slope is undefined.

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Self check

After completing the exercises, use this checklist to evaluate your mastery of the objectives of this section.

This table has seven rows and four columns. The first row is a header row and it labels each column. The first column is labeled

On a scale of 1–10, how would you rate your mastery of this section in light of your responses on the checklist? How can you improve this?

Practice Key Terms 7

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Source:  OpenStax, Elementary algebra. OpenStax CNX. Jan 18, 2017 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col12116/1.2
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