document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=73700>Question 73700</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please help me with this. I am no good at this stuff.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Find the slope of the line through the following pairs of points.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(-5, -3) and (-5, 2)<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #52696 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><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=52696\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> But you can get good at this stuff if you just don't let the math numbers overwhelm you.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This problem is a good example of that.  If you just look at the numbers it's easy to give<BR>\n" );
document.write( "up and say you're no good at it. There is an answer to this problem and with a little thought <BR>\n" );
document.write( "you can get it.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "First, make a sketch. Draw a set of coordinate axes ... a vertical y-axis and a horizontal<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x-axis. From the origin where these two axes cross, mark at least 5 units to the left on the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x-axis.  From right to left these marks represent -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, ....<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now mark up and down the y-axis 4 units up and 4 units down from the origin. Finally<BR>\n" );
document.write( "locate the two points you are given. One point is found by going to -5 on the x-axis and<BR>\n" );
document.write( "then going vertically down 3 units in the y-direction.  This is the point (-5, -3).<BR>\n" );
document.write( "To locate the other point go to -5 in the x direction and then go vertically up 2 units<BR>\n" );
document.write( "in the y direction.  Where you end up is the point (-5, 2).  Now what do you notice<BR>\n" );
document.write( "about these two points? They lie on a vertical line!!! One is directly above the other.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The line joining them doesn't slant and it isn't horizontal.  Slanting lines have a slope<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and a horizontal line is a special case because its slope is zero.  Recall that the definition<BR>\n" );
document.write( "of slope is usually expressed as the change in x divided into the change in y, or maybe<BR>\n" );
document.write( "as rise over run.  But this case the change in x (or the run) is zero.  And you can't divide<BR>\n" );
document.write( "anything by zero in math ... that's a no-no!.  So the slope of this vertical line is not<BR>\n" );
document.write( "defined, does not exist, or maybe is infinity. But however you choose to think about it, <BR>\n" );
document.write( "it isn't a nice number.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now you know a little something more about slopes. Vertical lines don't have a defined<BR>\n" );
document.write( "slope, horizontal lines have a slope of zero, and slant lines have a slope that can be <BR>\n" );
document.write( "expressed as a number.  Another tool in your math toolbox. (And see how valuable it was to<BR>\n" );
document.write( "make a sketch to help you think about the problem.) </SPAN>\n" );
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