How do you write an equation in point slope form that passes through ( -1,0) , (3, 10)?

1 Answer
Jun 2, 2015

Slope is (change in y) / (change in x)...

More formally: Given two points (x_1, y_1) and (x_2, y_2) the slope m of a straight line passing through those points is given by the formula:

m = (Delta y)/(Delta x) = (y_2 - y_1)/(x_2 - x_1)

In your example, with (x_1, y_1) = (-1, 0) and (x_2, y_2) = (3, 10),

m = (10 - 0) / (3 - (-1)) = 10/4 = 5/2

Point-slope form looks like:

y - y_0 = m(x - x_0), where m is the slope and (x_0, y_0) is a point through which the line passes.

I will use the point (3, 10) to write the equation of our line as:

y - 10 = 5/2(x - 3)