/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 45 Write an equation of the line th... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

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Write an equation of the line that passes through the points \((-2,-5)\) and \((1,-1)\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
The equation of the line is \[ y = \frac{4}{3}x - \frac{7}{3} \].

Step by step solution

01

- Find the Slope

The first step to writing the equation of the line is to find the slope. The slope (m) of a line passing through two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) is given by the formula \(\frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}\). So, for the points \((-2, -5)\) and \(1, -1)\), we calculate as follows: \[ m = \frac{-1 - (-5)}{1 - (-2)} = \frac{-1 + 5}{1 + 2} = \frac{4}{3} \]
02

- Use the Point-Slope Formula

Next, use the point-slope formula to write the equation of the line. The point-slope form is given by \(y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)\). Using the point \((1, -1)\) and the slope \(m = \frac{4}{3}\), we get: \[ y - (-1) = \frac{4}{3}(x - 1) \]
03

- Simplify the Equation

Simplify the equation from Step 2 to write it in slope-intercept form \(y = mx + b\). \[ y + 1 = \frac{4}{3}(x - 1) \] Distribute the \( \frac{4}{3} \): \[ y + 1 = \frac{4}{3}x - \frac{4}{3} \] Subtract 1 from both sides: \[ y = \frac{4}{3}x - \frac{4}{3} - 1 \] Simplify the constants: \[ y = \frac{4}{3}x - \frac{7}{3} \]

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Slope
The slope of a line is a measure of its steepness or inclination. It's denoted by the letter m. A positive slope means the line rises from left to right, while a negative slope means it falls.
The slope between two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) is calculated using the formula: \[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]
For our points \((-2, -5)\) and \((1, -1)\), plug in the values:
\[- m = \frac{-1 - (-5)}{1 - (-2)} = \frac{-1 + 5}{1 + 2} = \frac{4}{3} \] This tells us the line rises 4 units for every 3 units it runs horizontally.
Point-Slope Formula
The point-slope formula is useful when you know one point on the line and the slope. It's expressed as: \[ y - y_1 = m(x - x_1) \]
This formula essentially says that the difference in the y-coordinates between any point \(x, y\) on the line and the known point \(x_1, y_1\) is proportional to the difference in their x-coordinates, scaled by the slope, m.
Using our point \((1, -1)\) and slope \((m = \frac{4}{3})\), substitute into the formula:
\[ y - (-1) = \frac{4}{3}(x - 1) \]
Simplifying further, you'll see:
\[ y + 1 = \frac{4}{3}(x - 1) \] This equation is a starting point to help us formulate other forms of the line equation.
Slope-Intercept Form
The slope-intercept form of a linear equation is probably the most familiar. It's written as \[ y = mx + b \]
Here, m is the slope and b is the y-intercept - the point where the line crosses the y-axis.
We begin with the point-slope form and rearrange it into slope-intercept form.
From: \[ y + 1 = \frac{4}{3}(x - 1) \] Distribute the slope:
\[ y + 1 = \frac{4}{3}x - \frac{4}{3} \] Isolate y by subtracting 1 from both sides:
\[ y = \frac{4}{3}x - \frac{4}{3} - 1 \]
Combine the constants:
\[ y = \frac{4}{3}x - \frac{7}{3} \]
Now, the line's equation is in slope-intercept form, showing the relationship between y and x directly.

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