document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=336497>Question 336497</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> find the slope of the line joining the points whose coordinates are given. (a,b), (b,a) </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #241189 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=241189\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Note: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=\"/cgi-bin/rendertex.cgi?\LARGE \left(x_{1}, y_{1}\right)\"> is the first point <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=\"/cgi-bin/rendertex.cgi?\LARGE \left(a,b\right)\">. So this means that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B1%5D=a ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B1%5D=a\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y%5B1%5D=b ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y%5B1%5D=b\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Also, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=\"/cgi-bin/rendertex.cgi?\LARGE \left(x_{2}, y_{2}\right)\"> is the second point <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=\"/cgi-bin/rendertex.cgi?\LARGE \left(b,a\right)\">.  So this means that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B2%5D=b ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B2%5D=b\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y%5B2%5D=a ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y%5B2%5D=a\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=m=%28y%5B2%5D-y%5B1%5D%29%2F%28x%5B2%5D-x%5B1%5D%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"m=%28y%5B2%5D-y%5B1%5D%29%2F%28x%5B2%5D-x%5B1%5D%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the slope formula.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=m=%28a-b%29%2F%28b-a%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"m=%28a-b%29%2F%28b-a%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Plug in <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y%5B2%5D=a ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y%5B2%5D=a\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y%5B1%5D=b ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y%5B1%5D=b\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B2%5D=b ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B2%5D=b\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B1%5D=a ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B1%5D=a\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=m=%28a-b%29%2F%28-1%28-b%2Ba%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"m=%28a-b%29%2F%28-1%28-b%2Ba%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor out a -1 from the denominator.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=m=-%28a-b%29%2F%28a-b%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"m=-%28a-b%29%2F%28a-b%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Rearrange the terms.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=m=-cross%28%28a-b%29%29%2Fcross%28%28a-b%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"m=-cross%28%28a-b%29%29%2Fcross%28%28a-b%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Cancel out the common terms.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=m=-1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"m=-1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Simplify\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the slope of the line through the points (a,b) and (b,a) is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=m=-1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"m=-1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >. This is true regardless of the values of 'a' and 'b' as long as <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a%3C%3Eb ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a%3C%3Eb\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "If you need more help, email me at <a  rel=nofollow HREF=\"mailto:jim_thompson5910@hotmail.com?Subject=I%20Need%20Algebra%20Help\">jim_thompson5910@hotmail.com</a>\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Also, feel free to check out my <a  rel=nofollow HREF=\"http://www.freewebs.com/jimthompson5910/home.html\">website</a>. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Jim </SPAN>\n" );
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