Understanding the Point-Slope Form | How to Write the Equation of a Straight Line

point-slope form

The point-slope form is a method for writing the equation of a straight line

The point-slope form is a method for writing the equation of a straight line. It is written as follows:

y – y1 = m(x – x1)

In this form, (x1, y1) represents the coordinates of a point on the line, and m represents the slope of the line.

To understand how to use the point-slope form, let’s consider an example:

Suppose we are given that a line passes through the point (2, 4) and has a slope of 3. We can use the point-slope form to write the equation of this line.

Using the formula, we have:

y – 4 = 3(x – 2)

Now, let’s simplify this equation:

y – 4 = 3x – 6

Next, we can rearrange the equation to write it in slope-intercept form (y = mx + b), where b represents the y-intercept:

y = 3x – 6 + 4

Simplifying further:

y = 3x – 2

So, the equation of the line passing through the point (2, 4) with a slope of 3 is y = 3x – 2. This equation represents a straight line that passes through the given point and has the specified slope.

The point-slope form is particularly useful when you have a specific point and slope of a line and need to write its equation. It provides a straightforward way to express the equation of a line in a concise and convenient form.

More Answers: