Slope: What It Is and How to Find It

Slope

What It Is and How to Find It

What is slope?

• Slope is the steepness of a line that is graphed on a coordinate grid.

• It is a value we can get from examining how one point connects to another.

• We use the letter m to represent slope.

One way to remember...

• Positive slope looks like it's going uphill (from left to right).

• Negative slope looks like it's going downhill (from left to right).

• Zero slope is a flat line.

• Undefined slope is straight upwards; walking up it would be impossible.

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Multiple Choice

Identify the slope as positive, negative, zero, or undefined.

• positive

• negative

• zero

• undefined

Finding the Value of Slope

• Slope is found by finding the change in y and dividing it by the change in x.

• We often use the phrase "rise (up/down) over run (left/right)."

• You choose any two points on the line and follow the formula pictured, OR you can just count on the graph itself.

Fill in the Blanks

What are the coordinates of the two defined points? Use the format (x,y),(x,y) with no spaces.

Fill in the Blanks

Our points are (0, 0) and (2, 1). What is the rise (change in y-values)?

Fill in the Blanks

Our points are (0, 0) and (2, 1). What is the run (change in x-values)?

Multiple Choice

Our points are (0, 0) and (2, 1). What is the rise/run?

• 1/2

• 2/1

Multiple Choice

Does this line have a positive slope (uphill) or a negative slope (downhill)?

• positive

• negative

Multiple Choice

The slope (m) of this line is..

• m = 1/2

• m = -1/2

Fill in the Blanks

What are the coordinates of the two defined points? Use the format (x,y),(x,y) with no spaces.

Fill in the Blanks

Our points are (-4, 1) and (-2, -1). What is the rise (change in y-values)?

Fill in the Blanks

Our points are (-4, 1) and (-2, -1). What is the run (change in x-values)?

Multiple Choice

Our points are (-4, 1) and (-2, -1). What is the rise/run?

• 2/2 = 1

• 2/2 = 2

Multiple Choice

Does this line have a positive slope (uphill) or a negative slope (downhill)?

• positive

• negative

Multiple Choice

The slope (m) of this line is..

• m = 1

• m = -1

Fill in the Blanks

What are the coordinates of the two defined points? Use the format (x,y),(x,y) with no spaces

Fill in the Blanks

Our points are (-1, -4) and (1, -3). What is the rise/run?

Multiple Choice

The slope (m) of this line is..

• m = 1/2

• m = -1/2

Multiple Choice

The slope (m) of this line is..

• m = -4/5

• m = -5/4

• m = 4/5

• m = 5/4

Multiple Choice

The slope (m) of this line is..

• m = undefined

• m = 2/3

• m = 0

• m = -2/3

Multiple Choice

The slope (m) of this line is..

• m = 0

• m = 5/2

• m = undefined

• m = -2/5

Fill in the Blanks

What is the slope of this line? Type your answer in the format m=? with no spaces.

Fill in the Blanks

What is the slope of this line? Type your answer in the format m=? with no spaces.

Fill in the Blanks

What is the slope of this line? Choose any 2 clearly defined points. Type your answer as a fraction in the format m=? with no spaces.

Fill in the Blanks

What is the slope of this line? Choose any 2 clearly defined points. Type your answer as a fraction in the format m=? with no spaces.

Open Ended

Describe the process for finding slope. Write as much as you remember.

Poll

How do you feel about finding slope?

• Great! I understand it completely.

• Good. I get it for the most part.

• Meh. I feel like I'm missing something.

• Bad. I don't understand anything about it.