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Guias de estudo > Prealgebra

Introduction to Identifying and Using Slope

As we’ve been graphing linear equations, we’ve seen that some lines slant up as they go from left to right and some lines slant down. Some lines are very steep and some lines are flatter. What determines whether a line slants up or down, and if its slant is steep or flat? The steepness of the slant of a line is called the slope of the line. The concept of slope has many applications in the real world. The pitch of a roof and the grade of a highway or wheelchair ramp are just some examples in which you literally see slopes. And when you ride a bicycle, you feel the slope as you pump uphill or coast downhill.  

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this section, you will be able to:
  • Find the slope of a line from its graph
  • Find the slope of horizontal and vertical lines
  • Use the slope formula to find the slope of a line between two points
  • Graph a line given a point and the slope
  • Solve slope applications
  Before you get started in this module, try a few practice problems and review prior concepts.

Examples

 
  1. Simplify: 1−48−2\frac{1 - 4}{8 - 2}.If you missed this problem, review [link].
  2. Divide: 04,40\frac{0}{4},\frac{4}{0}.If you missed this problem, review [link].
  3. Simplify: 15−3,−153,−15−3\frac{15}{-3},\frac{-15}{3},\frac{-15}{-3}.If you missed this problem, review [link].
   

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