SOLUTION: Find the slope of the line that passes through (-3,7) and (5,-5) thank you

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Question 197448: Find the slope of the line that passes through (-3,7) and (5,-5)

thank you
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

First let's find the slope of the line through the points and


Note: is the first point and is the second point .


m=%28y%5B2%5D-y%5B1%5D%29%2F%28x%5B2%5D-x%5B1%5D%29 Start with the slope formula.


m=%28-5-7%29%2F%285--3%29 Plug in y%5B2%5D=-5, y%5B1%5D=7, x%5B2%5D=5, and x%5B1%5D=-3


m=%28-12%29%2F%285--3%29 Subtract 7 from -5 to get -12


m=%28-12%29%2F%288%29 Subtract -3 from 5 to get 8


m=-3%2F2 Reduce


So the slope of the line that goes through the points and is m=-3%2F2


Now let's use the point slope formula:


y-y%5B1%5D=m%28x-x%5B1%5D%29 Start with the point slope formula


y-7=%28-3%2F2%29%28x--3%29 Plug in m=-3%2F2, x%5B1%5D=-3, and y%5B1%5D=7


y-7=%28-3%2F2%29%28x%2B3%29 Rewrite x--3 as x%2B3


y-7=%28-3%2F2%29x%2B%28-3%2F2%29%283%29 Distribute


y-7=%28-3%2F2%29x-9%2F2 Multiply


y=%28-3%2F2%29x-9%2F2%2B7 Add 7 to both sides.


y=%28-3%2F2%29x%2B5%2F2 Combine like terms.


So the equation that goes through the points and is y=%28-3%2F2%29x%2B5%2F2