Math Problem Statement

A line passes through the points ( – 10,1) and (10, – 9). What is its equation in point-slope form?

Solution

To find the equation of the line in point-slope form, we first need to follow these steps:

1. Find the slope (m):

The formula to calculate the slope between two points (x1,y1)(x_1, y_1) and (x2,y2)(x_2, y_2) is:

m=y2y1x2x1m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}

Substitute the coordinates (10,1)(-10, 1) and (10,9)(10, -9) into the formula:

m=9110(10)=1020=12m = \frac{-9 - 1}{10 - (-10)} = \frac{-10}{20} = -\frac{1}{2}

2. Point-slope form of the equation:

The point-slope form of the equation is:

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

Using the slope m=12m = -\frac{1}{2} and the point (10,1)(-10, 1), substitute into the formula:

y1=12(x(10))y - 1 = -\frac{1}{2}(x - (-10))

Simplifying:

y1=12(x+10)y - 1 = -\frac{1}{2}(x + 10)

This is the equation of the line in point-slope form.


Would you like any further details on this process or have any additional questions?

Here are five related questions to explore further:

  1. How do you convert from point-slope form to slope-intercept form?
  2. What is the general formula for the equation of a line?
  3. How can we graph the equation of a line given two points?
  4. How do you determine the x- and y-intercepts from a linear equation?
  5. What is the significance of the slope in real-world problems?

Tip: When finding the slope of a line between two points, ensure you're carefully subtracting the y-values and x-values in the correct order (y2 - y1, x2 - x1) to avoid sign mistakes!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Algebra
Linear Equations
Slope
Point-Slope Form

Formulas

Slope formula: m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)
Point-slope form: y - y1 = m(x - x1)

Theorems

Slope formula
Point-slope form theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10