What is the equation of the line between #(5,-6)# and #(4,2)#?

1 Answer
Jan 18, 2017

#(y - color(red)(2)) = color(blue)(-8)(x - color(red)(4))#

Or

#y = -8x + 34#

Or

#(y + color(red)(6)) = color(blue)(-8)(x - color(red)(5))#

Explanation:

The point-slope formula can be used to find this equation. However, we must first find the slope which can be found using two points on a line.

The slope can be found by using the formula: #m = (color(red)(y_2) - color(blue)(y_1))/(color(red)(x_2) - color(blue)(x_1))#

Where #m# is the slope and (#color(blue)(x_1, y_1)#) and (#color(red)(x_2, y_2)#) are the two points on the line.

Substituting the values from the problem gives:

#m = (color(red)(2) - color(blue)(-6))/(color(red)(4) - color(blue)(5))#

#m = (color(red)(2) + color(blue)(6))/(color(red)(4) - color(blue)(5))#

#m = 8/-1 = -8#

The slope and either of the points can now be used with the point-slope formula to find an equation for the line.

The point-slope formula states: #(y - color(red)(y_1)) = color(blue)(m)(x - color(red)(x_1))#

Where #color(blue)(m)# is the slope and #color(red)(((x_1, y_1)))# is a point the line passes through.

Substituting the calculate slope and the second point gives:

#(y - color(red)(2)) = color(blue)(-8)(x - color(red)(4))#

Or, we can convert to the more familiar slope-intercept form by solving for #y#:

#y - color(red)(2) = (color(blue)(-8) xx x) - (color(blue)(-8) xx color(red)(4))#

#y - 2 = -8x + 32#

#y - 2 + color(red)(2) = -8x + 32 + color(red)(2)#

#y - 0 = -8x + 34#

#y = -8x + 34#

Or, we can use the point-slope formula and the first point to give:

#(y - color(red)(-6)) = color(blue)(-8)(x - color(red)(5))#

#(y + color(red)(6)) = color(blue)(-8)(x - color(red)(5))#