How do you calculate the slope given two points?

1 Answer
Nov 16, 2014

Use the slope formula (m = (y_2 - y_1)/(x_2 - x_1)) to calculate the slope given two points (x_1, y_1) and (x_2, y_2).

Here is an example of finding the slope, given two points (-2,3) and (4,-5).

(-2, 3) = (x_1, y_1)
(4, -5) = (x_2, y_2)

m = (y_2 - y_1)/(x_2 - x_1)

m = (-5 - 3)/(4 - (-2))

m = (-5 - 3)/(4 + 2)

m = (-8)/(6)

m =-4/3

The slope of of (-2,3) and (-4,5) is -4/3