Question 87561
Could you please help me solve and understand this equation?
Find an equation of the line containing the given pairs of points
(4,3) and (12,7) Y=
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There are two formulas that you should know when dealing with slope equations:
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1st one is the "slope equation": m = {{{((y2-y1))/((x2-x1)))}}}
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Assign the given coordinates as follows:
x1=4, y1=3, x2=12, y2=7
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Using the slope equation and these values, find the slope
m = {{{((7-3))/((12-4)))}}} = {{{4/8}}} = {{{1/2}}}
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The 2nd formula you should know is the "point/slope equation": y-y1 = m(x-x1)
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Using the values: m = 1/2 or m = .5; x1=4, y1=3
y - 3 = .5(x - 4)
y - 3 = .5x - 2; multiplied what was in brackets
y = .5x - 2 + 3; added 3 to both sides
y = .5x + 1; is the equation derived from the given coordinates
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You can always check the equation by substituting the value for x and seeing if the gives you the given value for y:
Using x=4 and y = 3
y = .5(4) + 1
y = 2 + 1
y = 3
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You can do the same with the 2nd set of coordinates.
Using x = 12, y = 7
y = .5(12) + 1
y = 6 + 1
y = 7
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I tried to explain this step by step, let me know if it helped you understand it.