How to Compute Slope Practice
Finding slope from graphs, tables, and points
How to Compute Slope Practice
Finding slope from graphs, tables, and points
Math - Grade 6-8
- 1
Find the slope of the line that passes through the points (2, 3) and (6, 11).
Use slope = change in y divided by change in x.
The slope is 2. The change in y is 11 - 3 = 8, and the change in x is 6 - 2 = 4, so the slope is 8/4 = 2. - 2
Find the slope of the line that passes through the points (-1, 5) and (3, -7).
The slope is -3. The change in y is -7 - 5 = -12, and the change in x is 3 - (-1) = 4, so the slope is -12/4 = -3. - 3
A line goes through (0, 2) and (4, 10). What is the slope of the line?
The first point has x = 0, but you still use the same slope formula.
The slope is 2. The change in y is 10 - 2 = 8, and the change in x is 4 - 0 = 4, so the slope is 8/4 = 2. - 4
Use the table to find the slope. The x-values are 1, 2, 3, 4. The y-values are 4, 7, 10, 13.
The slope is 3. Each time x increases by 1, y increases by 3, so the slope is 3/1 = 3. - 5
Use the table to find the slope. The x-values are 0, 2, 4, 6. The y-values are 9, 5, 1, -3.
A line that goes downward from left to right has a negative slope.
The slope is -2. Each time x increases by 2, y decreases by 4, so the slope is -4/2 = -2. - 6
A hiker climbs from an elevation of 120 feet to 360 feet over a horizontal distance of 80 feet. What is the slope of the trail?
In this situation, slope compares vertical change to horizontal change.
The slope of the trail is 3. The change in elevation is 360 - 120 = 240 feet, and the horizontal distance is 80 feet, so the slope is 240/80 = 3. - 7
Find the slope of a horizontal line that passes through the points (-4, 6) and (5, 6).
The slope is 0. The y-values are the same, so the change in y is 6 - 6 = 0, and 0 divided by any nonzero change in x equals 0. - 8
Find the slope of a vertical line that passes through the points (3, -2) and (3, 8).
Vertical lines do not have a run, so the denominator in the slope ratio is 0.
The slope is undefined. The x-values are the same, so the change in x is 3 - 3 = 0, and division by 0 is undefined. - 9
The slope of a line is 4. Starting at the point (1, 2), what could be another point on the line?
Write 4 as 4/1 to think about rise over run.
One possible point is (2, 6). A slope of 4 means the line rises 4 units for every 1 unit it moves right, so from (1, 2) you can move right 1 and up 4 to get (2, 6). - 10
Find the slope of the line that passes through the points (8, 1) and (2, 4).
The slope is -1/2. The change in y is 4 - 1 = 3, and the change in x is 2 - 8 = -6, so the slope is 3/-6 = -1/2. - 11
A plant grows from 6 inches tall to 18 inches tall in 4 weeks. What is the plant's average rate of growth in inches per week?
The rate of growth is the slope because it compares change in height to change in time.
The average rate of growth is 3 inches per week. The height changed by 18 - 6 = 12 inches over 4 weeks, so the slope is 12/4 = 3. - 12
A line on a graph passes through (1, 9), (3, 5), and (5, 1). Find the slope and explain how you know the slope is constant.
The slope is -2. From (1, 9) to (3, 5), the change in y is -4 and the change in x is 2, so the slope is -4/2 = -2. From (3, 5) to (5, 1), the change is also -4/2 = -2, so the slope is constant.