Math
Slope.
Definition
A measure of the steepness and direction of a line, calculated as the ratio of vertical change (rise) to horizontal change (run) between any two points on the line. A positive slope rises left to right, a negative slope falls, zero slope is horizontal, and undefined slope is vertical.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 A ramp that rises 3 feet over a horizontal distance of 12 feet has a slope of 3/12 = 1/4
- 2 The line through (1, 2) and (4, 8) has slope (8−2)/(4−1) = 2
Key Fact
m = (y₂ − y₁) / (x₂ − x₁)