Question

find the slope of the line that passes through (1, 9) and (5, 4).
simplify your answer and write it as a proper fraction, improper fraction, or integer.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall slope formula

The slope $m$ between two points $(x_1,y_1)$ and $(x_2,y_2)$ is $m=\frac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}$

Step2: Assign values to variables

Let $(x_1,y_1)=(1,9)$ and $(x_2,y_2)=(5,4)$. Substitute into formula:
$m=\frac{4-9}{5-1}$

Step3: Calculate numerator and denominator

$m=\frac{-5}{4}$

Answer:

$\frac{-5}{4}$