Slope and the y-intercept of a line
Instruction:
Use the applet to explore how the slope of a line changes.
Move the slope slider m left or right to adjust the slope value and see how the line responds.
Use also the intercept slider b to see how the whole line shifts vertically.
Understanding the Slope Slider m
1. What happens to the direction of the line as you increase the value of ? How about when you decrease the value?
2. What happens to the direction if you make the slope negative?
3. What does the line look like when ?
4. How can you tell from the graph whether the slope is positive, negative or zero?
Understanding the y-intercept b
1. What happens to the line when you increase the value of ?
2. What happens if you decrease ?
3. How can you identify the y-intercept on the graph?
4. If two lines have the same slope but different values, how do their graphs compare?