To calculate the slope $m$ of the line passing through the points $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$, use the formula:

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

Substituting the values:

• $x_1 = 6$, $y_1 = 9$
• $x_2 = 10$, $y_2 = 8$

$m = \frac{8 - 9}{10 - 6}$

$m = \frac{-1}{4}$

Final Answer:

The slope of the line is $m = -\frac{1}{4}$.

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Would you like a detailed explanation or help visualizing this?
Here are 5 related questions you might explore:

1. How do you find the equation of the line given two points?
2. What does a negative slope indicate about the line's direction?
3. How would the slope change if the points were reversed?
4. Can you calculate the midpoint of the segment joining these two points?
5. How do you determine if two lines are perpendicular using their slopes?

Tip: A line with a negative slope always slants downward from left to right.