Question

find the slope of the line that passes through these two points. (2, 5); (7, 1) is the slope positive or negative? a) positive b) negative slope formula: \\(\frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}\\)

Explanation:

Step1: Assign coordinates

Let $(x_1, y_1)=(2,5)$ and $(x_2, y_2)=(7,1)$

Step2: Apply slope formula

$\text{slope} = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} = \frac{1 - 5}{7 - 2}$

Step3: Calculate numerator and denominator

$\text{slope} = \frac{-4}{5}$

Step4: Determine sign

The value $\frac{-4}{5}$ is less than 0, so it is negative.

Answer:

b) negative
$\frac{-4}{5}$