Writing Slope-Intercept Equations

Watch this lecture series and complete the interactive exercises to learn how to write an equation of a line in slope-intercept form.

Slope-intercept from two points - Questions

Answers

1.y=-3 x+7

Let's find the slope:

\begin{aligned}
\text { Slope } &=\frac{(-8)-1}{5-2} \\
&=\frac{-9}{3} \\
&=-3
\end{aligned}

The equation is y=-3 x+b for some b.

Let's plug the point  (2,1) to find b:

\begin{aligned}
&y=-3 x+b \\
&1=-3(2)+b \\
&1=-6+b \\
&7=b
\end{aligned}

The equation is y=-3 x+7.


2. y=\frac{4}{3} x-12

Let's find the slope:

\begin{aligned}
\text { Slope } &=\frac{-4-(-8)}{6-3} \\
&=\frac{4}{3}
\end{aligned}

The equation is y=\frac{4}{3} x+b for some b.

Let's plug the point (6,−4) to find b:

\begin{aligned}
y &=\frac{4}{3} x+b \\
-4 &=\frac{4}{3}(6)+b \\
-4 &=8+b \\
-12 &=b
\end{aligned}

The equation is y=\frac{4}{3} x-12.


3. y=8 x-25.

Let's find the slope:

\begin{aligned}
\text { Slope } &=\frac{7-(-1)}{4-3} \\
&=\frac{8}{1} \\
&=8
\end{aligned}

The equation is y=8 x+b for some b.

Let's plug the point (4, 7) to find b:

\begin{aligned}
y &=8 x+b \\
7 &=8(4)+b \\
7 &=32+b \\
-25 &=b
\end{aligned}

The equation is y=8 x-25.


4. y=-\frac{2}{5} x-11

Let's find the slope:

\begin{aligned}
\text { Slope } &=\frac{-9-(-7)}{-5-(-10)} \\
&=\frac{-2}{5} \\
&=-\frac{2}{5}
\end{aligned}

The equation is y=-\frac{2}{5} x+b for some b.

Let's plug the point  (−5,−9) to find b:

\begin{aligned}
y &=-\frac{2}{5} x+b \\
-9 &=-\frac{2}{5}(-5)+b \\
-9 &=2+b \\
-11 &=b
\end{aligned}

The equation is y=-\frac{2}{5} x-11.