Chapter 1: Problem 20
Find the slope-intercept form of the equation of the line satisfying the given conditions. Do not use a calculator. Through \((-1,6.25)\) and \((2,-4.25)\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The equation of the line is \( y = -3.5x + 2.75 \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify Points
We have two points on the line: \((-1, 6.25)\) and \((2, -4.25)\). These points are denoted as \((x_1, y_1) = (-1, 6.25)\) and \((x_2, y_2) = (2, -4.25)\).
02
Calculate Slope
The slope \(m\) of the line passing through two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) is given by the formula:\[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]Substitute the given points into the formula:\[ m = \frac{-4.25 - 6.25}{2 - (-1)} = \frac{-10.5}{3} = -3.5 \]
03
Use Slope-Intercept Form
The slope-intercept form of a line is given by \(y = mx + b\), where \(m\) is the slope and \(b\) is the y-intercept. We found \(m = -3.5\). We now choose one point to solve for \(b\). Let's use \((-1, 6.25)\).
04
Solve for Y-Intercept
Substitute \(m = -3.5\), \(x = -1\), and \(y = 6.25\) into the equation \(y = mx + b\):\[ 6.25 = -3.5(-1) + b \]\[ 6.25 = 3.5 + b \]Subtract \(3.5\) from both sides to solve for \(b\):\[ b = 6.25 - 3.5 = 2.75 \]
05
Write the Final Equation
Insert the values for \(m\) and \(b\) into the slope-intercept form:\[ y = -3.5x + 2.75 \]This is the equation of the line in slope-intercept form.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Equation of a Line
When we talk about an equation of a line, we're dealing with a rule that represents a straight path in a coordinate plane. One common way to express this is through the slope-intercept form, which is written as:
- \( y = mx + b \)
- \( y \) is the dependent variable, which changes with \( x \)
- \( x \) is the independent variable
- \( m \) represents the slope of the line
- \( b \) is the y-intercept, or where the line crosses the y-axis
Slope Calculation
The slope of a line is a crucial concept as it indicates the line's steepness and direction. It's calculated by comparing the vertical change (rise) to the horizontal change (run) between two points on a line. The formula for slope \( m \) is:
- \( m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \)
- \((-1, 6.25)\) and \((2, -4.25)\)
- \( m = \frac{-4.25 - 6.25}{2 - (-1)} = \frac{-10.5}{3} = -3.5 \)
Y-Intercept
The y-intercept is another key feature of a line, representing the point where the line crosses the y-axis. In the context of the slope-intercept equation \( y = mx + b \), the value of \( b \) is the y-intercept.
- Finding \( b \) involves rearranging the slope-intercept equation so that when \( x = 0 \), the value of \( y \) is \( b \).
- \((-1, 6.25)\)
- \( 6.25 = -3.5(-1) + b \) leads us to find \( b = 2.75 \)