document.write( "Question 545238: Find the Equation of a Line Given That You Know Two Points it Passes Through.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(1/2,-3) and (-2,1)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Thank you
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Algebra.Com's Answer #355574 by KMST(5396)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
When you know two points in a line, you can calculate the slope. Then, with the slope and just one point, you can write the equation of the line.
\n" ); document.write( "The slope (usually represented by m) can be calculated as the difference in y coordinate, divided by the difference in x coordinate (also called rise and run). So,
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\n" ); document.write( "\"%281%2F2-%28-2%29%29=5%2F2\" is the run, the increase in x as you go from (-2,1) to (1/2,-3)
\n" ); document.write( "\"-3-1=-4\" is the rise, how much y rises as you go from (-2,1) to (1/2,-3), and you know that it goes down by 4, so the rise is -4.
\n" ); document.write( "With the slope (m) and one point (h,k), you can write the equation of the line in the point-slope form as
\n" ); document.write( "\"y-k=m%28x-h%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "So, using point (-2,1),
\n" ); document.write( "\"y-1=-%288%2F5%29%28x-%28-2%29%29\"<-->\"y-1=-%288%2F5%29%28x%2B2%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "And we can transform that equation into the slope-intercept form like this:
\n" ); document.write( "\"y=-%288%2F5%29x-16%2F5%2B1\"<-->\"y=-%288%2F5%29x-11%2F5\"
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