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Ch. 2 - Graphs and Functions
Lial - College Algebra 13th Edition
Lial13th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136881063Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 48

Graph the line satisfying the given conditions. through (2, -4), m = 3/4

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1
Identify the given information: a point on the line \((2, -4)\) and the slope \(m = \frac{3}{4}\).
Use the point-slope form of the equation of a line: \(y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)\), where \((x_1, y_1)\) is the given point.
Substitute the point \((2, -4)\) and the slope \(\frac{3}{4}\) into the point-slope form: \(y - (-4) = \frac{3}{4}(x - 2)\).
Simplify the equation to get it into slope-intercept form \(y = mx + b\) by distributing and isolating \(y\) on one side.
Use the simplified equation to plot the line by starting at the point \((2, -4)\) and using the slope \(\frac{3}{4}\) to find additional points.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Slope of a Line

The slope represents the rate of change or steepness of a line, calculated as the ratio of the vertical change to the horizontal change between two points. In this problem, the slope m = 3/4 means the line rises 3 units for every 4 units it moves horizontally.
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The Slope of a Line

Point-Slope Form of a Line

The point-slope form is an equation of a line given a point (x₁, y₁) and slope m, expressed as y - y₁ = m(x - x₁). It is useful for writing the equation of a line when a point and slope are known, as in this problem with point (2, -4) and slope 3/4.
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Point-Slope Form

Graphing a Line

Graphing a line involves plotting a point and using the slope to find additional points. Starting at (2, -4), move up 3 units and right 4 units repeatedly to plot points, then draw a straight line through them to represent the line with slope 3/4.
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Graphing Lines in Slope-Intercept Form