SOLUTION: I am given to sets of points (-2,-4) and (2,1). I need to write an equation. this is what I did: m= 1- (-4)/2- (-2) = 3/0 = 3 y= 3x + b -4 = 3(-2) + b -4 = -6 + b +6 +6

Question 184999This question is from textbook
: I am given to sets of points (-2,-4) and (2,1). I need to write an equation.
this is what I did:
m= 1- (-4)/2- (-2) = 3/0 = 3
y= 3x + b
-4 = 3(-2) + b
-4 = -6 + b
+6 +6
-2=b ???????
Very Confusing This question is from textbook

Answer by Earlsdon(6294) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Start with the general linear equation in the "slope-intercept" form:

Find the slope from the given points (-2,-4) (2,1) using:
and the (,) are the x- and y-coordinates of the first point. Similarly for the second point, so...

Now plug this into the general equation we had at the start.
Now we need to find the value of b, the y-intercept. This is done by substituting the x- and y-coordinates of either one of the two given points. Let's use the second point (2,1).
Substitute x = 2 and y = 1 and solve for b.

Subtract from both sides of the equation.
Simplify.
Now you can write the final equation in slope-intercept form:

A few comments on your work.
It seems that you are having trouble handling the addition/subtraction of positive/negative integers.
Remember...to subtract an integer, you add its additive inverse (opposite), thus:
= and
=
Furthermore, you came up wth a slope but remember, if a fraction has a zero in the denominator, it considered "undefined" because division by zero is not defined in mathematics.
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