Find an equation for a line given the slope and a point

by Stephanie
(Canada)

Question

Find an equation for a line with a slope of 2/3 and passing through (1, –4).

Answer

STEP 1:   We are given the slope and a point through which the line passes. With these values, and the slope-intercept form, the equation of the line can be determined. By the slope-intercept form, we refer to an equation of the form:
                                        y = mx + b

Make a note of what each variable in the equation stands for:
Use ²/₃ for m in the equation.
STEP 2:    The value of b is still unknown. Since the line is said to pass through (1, –4), we can substitute the respective values for x and y.

STEP 3: Now, solve the equation for b.
STEP 4: The final step is to replace all the variables in the slope-intercept form with the known values.
The equation of the line is: