Finding the Slope from a Linear Equation
(KS3, Year 8)
Real Examples of Finding the Slope from a Linear Equation
Finding the slope of a line from a linear equation is easy. Here are some linear equations, which represent lines. We show how to find the slope from the linear equation.- The slope of y = 2x + 1 is 2. Look at the number in front of the x (called the coefficient of x). This is the slope. A slope of 2 means that the line will go up by 2 when it goes across by 1.
- The slope of y = −3x + 3 is −3. The number in front of the x is negative. This means the line slopes downwards. A slope of −3 means that the line will go down by 3 when it goes across by 1.
- y = 2 is a horizontal line. It has a slope of 0. y = 2 does not have an x in it. We can imagine there is an invisible 0 in front of the x which gets rid of it. A slope of 0 means that the line will neither go up nor down when it goes across by 1.
Postive And Negative Slopes
A positive slope means the line slopes up and to the right: A negative slope means the line slopes down and to the right:Fractional Slope
Slope can be a fraction, such as ½ and ¾. An improper fraction is positive, but less than 1. A slope of 1 gives a 45° line. A fractional slope is less steep than this:Zero Slope And Undefined Slope
A line that goes straight across has zero slope: A line that goes straight across has an undefined slope:Worksheet
This test is printable and sendable