What is the slope of the line passing through the following points: # (-3/4, -1/4) , (2/7, -5/7)#?

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Answer 1 · 2016-09-16T17:11:23

The slope #(Deltay)/(Delta x )= -13/29#

Finding the slope is the change in y divided by the change in x

The fractions with different denominators makes this a difficult problem.

To make the problem easier multiple all the fractions by the least common denominator to make the fractions disappear.

Multiplying by the least common denominator looks like this.

# {28 xx (-1/4 - (-5/7))} /{ 28 xx ( -3/4 - 2/7 } # This is #(y_1-y_2)/(x_1-x_2)#

This gives

# ( -7+20)/(-21-8)# Subtracting a negative from a negative gives +20

# 13/-29# Dividing a positive by a negative = a negative

# -13/29# = the slope.