The Slope of a Line
The slope of a line is a measure of the steepness of the line.
This is given by the ratio of the vertical change (along y) between two points of the line to the corresponding horizontal change (along x).
Thus, we have, the slope m = (change in y)/(change in x) = (y_2 - y_1)/(x_2 - x_1)
IMPORTANT POINTS:
- The slope between any two points of a given line is constant.
- Since a unique line is determined by two points, then a line may be uniquely determined by a point and the slope of the line.