Chapter 1: Problem 2
Find an equation for the line that passes through the given points. $$(0,0) and (1,1)$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The equation of the line is \(y = x\).
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Equation of a Line
The equation of a line in slope-intercept form is given by \(y = mx + b\). Here, \(m\) is the slope of the line, and \(b\) is the y-intercept.
02
Find the Slope
The slope \(m\) of a line passing through two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) can be calculated using the formula \(m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}\). Substitute the given points \((0, 0)\) and \((1, 1)\) into the formula: \(m = \frac{1 - 0}{1 - 0} = 1\).
03
Determine the Y-intercept
Since one of the points given is the origin \((0,0)\), it directly gives us the y-intercept \(b = 0\).
04
Combine Slope and Y-intercept
With the slope \(m = 1\) and the y-intercept \(b = 0\), substitute these values into the slope-intercept form. This gives the equation \(y = 1x + 0\).
05
Simplify the Equation
The equation \(y = 1x + 0\) simplifies to \(y = x\). This is the equation of the line that passes through the given points.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Slope-Intercept Form
The slope-intercept form is one of the most useful ways to express the equation of a straight line. This form is written as \(y = mx + b\).
Here, \(m\) represents the slope of the line, indicating its steepness and direction, and \(b\) is the y-intercept, which is the point where the line crosses the y-axis.
Here, \(m\) represents the slope of the line, indicating its steepness and direction, and \(b\) is the y-intercept, which is the point where the line crosses the y-axis.
- If the slope \(m\) is positive, the line inclines upward as it moves from left to right.
- If \(m\) is negative, it declines downward.
- A line will be horizontal if \(m = 0\), indicating it is parallel to the x-axis.
- The y-intercept is valuable because it allows you to visualize where the line intersects the y-axis.
Slope Calculation
The slope of a line quantifies how steep it is. To calculate the slope, you don't need to guess how steep a line is by just looking at it; you can determine it precisely using a simple formula.
For two points \(x_1, y_1\)\ and \(x_2, y_2\), the slope \(m\) is calculated as follows:
\[m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}\]
The idea is to find out how much the y-values change as the x-values change.
For two points \(x_1, y_1\)\ and \(x_2, y_2\), the slope \(m\) is calculated as follows:
\[m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}\]
The idea is to find out how much the y-values change as the x-values change.
- In our example, using points \((0,0)\) and \((1,1)\), we calculated the slope as \(m = 1\).
- This tells us that for every unit we move right (along the x-axis), our y-value increases by the same amount.
- It confirms a steady, linear increase in the values.
Y-Intercept
The y-intercept of a line is the point where it crosses the y-axis. In other words, it is the point at which the value of \(x\) is zero and only the y value is significant.
In the equation \(y = mx + b\), the y-intercept is represented by \(b\). One special situation is when one of your given points is the origin \(0, 0\), like in our example.
In the equation \(y = mx + b\), the y-intercept is represented by \(b\). One special situation is when one of your given points is the origin \(0, 0\), like in our example.
- This automatically sets the y-intercept \(b\) to zero because the line passes through the origin.
- Whenever the y-intercept is zero, it implies the line continues in its path directly from the origin without any upward or downward shift on the y-axis.
- The y-intercept is crucial in graphical representation, helping you locate your line quickly on the graph.