document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=19578>Question 19578</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please help me find the equation of the line through (-3,7) that is paralled to the line joining the points (4,5) and (-2, -8). Thank you in advance.  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #9455 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=mmm4444bot><B>mmm4444bot(95)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-08.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=mmm4444bot><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=9455\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Hello There:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "To write the equation of a parallel line, we first need to know the slope that it is parallel to.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Use the slope formula to find the slope of the line passing through the points (4, 5) and (-2, -8).\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "In case you have not memorized this important formula, it is the difference of the y-coordinates divided by the difference between the x-coordinates.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "In other words, if the points are (a, b) and (c, d), then the slope is:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "m = (d - b)/(c - a)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Using this formula with the two points gives us:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "m = (-8 - 5)/(-2 - 4)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "m = -13/(-6)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "m = 13/6\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Now that we have the slope for our line, we use the point-slope formula to write the equation of the line with slope 13/6 passing through the point (-3, 7).\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Given a slope of m and the point (a, b), the point-slope formula is:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "y - b = m*(x - a)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "(The asterisk means multiplication.)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "So, we have:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "y - 7 = (13/6)*(x + 3)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Get rid of the parantheses by multiplying both the x and the 3 by 13/6 (this is the distributive property).\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "y - 7 = (13/6)*x + 13/2\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Add 7 to both sides to solve for y.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "y = (13/6)*x + 27/2\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "This is the slope-intercept form of the equation.  We can also write it in general form.  Multiply both sides by 6 to clear the fractions.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "6*y = 13*x + 81\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Subtract 6*y from both sides to set the equation equal to zero.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "13*x - 6*y + 81 = 0\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "~ Mark<BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );