How do you find the slope and intercept of y=-3/5x+2?

1 Answer
Mar 13, 2018

The slope is -3/5 and the intercept is 2
(by inspection; see explanation below)

Explanation:

Compare the formula with the conventional way to express a straight line, which is

y = m x + c

where m is the slope (found as the rise divided by the run of some convenient part of the line---the slope of a straight line is the same everywhere on the line) and c is the intercept (the value of y at which the line crosses the y axis.

The formula in the question is already in a form which makes it easy to compare (it is not necessary to undertake preliminary algebraic rearrangement)

y = -3/5 x + 2

by inspection,

-3/5 corresponds to m, so this is the slope.

and

2 corresponds to c, so this is the intercept.

Job done!