Math Problem Statement

What is the equation of the line that passes through the point (-4, 1) and has a slope of -5/4?

Solution

To find the equation of the line that passes through the point (4,1)(-4, 1) and has a slope of 54-\frac{5}{4}, we can use the point-slope form of the equation of a line, which is:

yy1=m(xx1)y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)

Here:

  • m=54m = -\frac{5}{4} (the slope),
  • (x1,y1)=(4,1)(x_1, y_1) = (-4, 1) (the point the line passes through).

Substituting these values into the point-slope form:

y1=54(x+4)y - 1 = -\frac{5}{4}(x + 4)

Now, let's simplify this equation step by step:

  1. Distribute the slope 54-\frac{5}{4} on the right-hand side:

y1=54x54×4y - 1 = -\frac{5}{4}x - \frac{5}{4} \times 4

  1. Simplify the multiplication:

y1=54x5y - 1 = -\frac{5}{4}x - 5

  1. Finally, add 1 to both sides to get the equation in slope-intercept form y=mx+by = mx + b:

y=54x4y = -\frac{5}{4}x - 4

So, the equation of the line is:

y=54x4y = -\frac{5}{4}x - 4

Would you like more details or have any questions?

Related Questions:

  1. How do you convert a linear equation to standard form?
  2. What is the general formula for finding the equation of a line given two points?
  3. How do you find the slope of a line given two points?
  4. What does the slope of a line represent geometrically?
  5. How can you determine if two lines are parallel or perpendicular using their slopes?

Tip:

When working with linear equations, it's often helpful to graph the line to visually verify that it passes through the given point and has the correct slope.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Algebra
Linear Equations
Point-Slope Form

Formulas

Point-slope form: y - y1 = m(x - x1)
Slope-intercept form: y = mx + b

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10