What are the steps to finding the slope?

Answer 1

The approach depends on what you are using to start. Let's begin with the graphic approach.

1. Select two points on the graph that will be easy for you to describe accurately (usually, this means two points on the graph where the x and y coordinates are integers).
2. Measure the vertical difference between these the left point and the right point (the "rise"). If the right point is lower than the left point, this value should be negative.
3. Measure the horizontal difference between the two points (the "run"). This value will always be positive.
4. Divide the result of step two by the result of step three ("rise over run"). The result is your slope.

The second approach is used when you have an equation with a y with no exponent and x with no exponent in it (if either have exponents, the graph will not exhibit a global slope):

1. Use algebraic manipulation to place the y and its coefficient to the left of the equals sign and the x, its coefficient, and all constant values to the right.
2. Divide both sides of the equation by the coefficient of y so that there is nothing on the left side of the equation but a single y.
3. The coefficient of x remaining in your equation is your slope.