How do you write the equation of a line in point slope form and slope intercept form given points (-3, -4) (3, -2)?

1 Answer
May 7, 2015

Since both requested forms require the slope, let's start there:

m= (Delta y)/(Delta x)

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

=2/6 = 1/3

The general point slope form is
(y-y-1) = m(x-x_1)
or, in our example,
y-(-4) = 1/3(x-(-3))

With a little rearranging we can convert this into the slope intercept form (which in general is y=mx+b with a y-intercept at b)

y+4 = 1/3(x+3)

y+4 = 1/3x +1

y= 1/3x -3