From a graph, what is the standard method to calculate the slope between two points?

From a graph, what is the standard method to calculate the slope between two points?

• A. (X2 - X1) / (Y2 - Y1)
• B. (Y2 - Y1) / (X2 - X1)
• C. (Y2 - Y1) / (X2 - X1) + 1
• D. (Y1 - Y2) / (X1 - X2)

Answer: (C)

The slope is how much y changes for a given change in x, so you take the difference in y values and divide by the difference in x values: slope = (y2 − y1) / (x2 − x1). This “rise over run” concept shows the rate at which the line ascends as you move right. For example, points (1,2) and (4,5) give slope (5 − 2) / (4 − 1) = 3/3 = 1, meaning the line rises 1 unit for every 1 unit you move to the right. The form with a plus 1 would not reflect the actual slope, and changing the signs in both numerator and denominator yields an equivalent expression for the slope.

The slope is how much y changes for a given change in x, so you take the difference in y values and divide by the difference in x values: slope = (y2 − y1) / (x2 − x1). This “rise over run” concept shows the rate at which the line ascends as you move right. For example, points (1,2) and (4,5) give slope (5 − 2) / (4 − 1) = 3/3 = 1, meaning the line rises 1 unit for every 1 unit you move to the right. The form with a plus 1 would not reflect the actual slope, and changing the signs in both numerator and denominator yields an equivalent expression for the slope.