Question

Which word describes the slope of the line?

positive
negative
zero
undefined

Answer 1

Since the line, from left to right, is going upward, the slope is positive.

Answer 2

Answer:

positive

Step-by-step explanation:

The slope is the inclination of the line with respect to the x-axis.  It is denoted by the letter $m$. In mathematical language, the slope $m$ of the line is defined as the difference on the y-axis divided by the difference on the x-axis for two different points $P_1(x_1,y_1)$ and $P_2(x_2,y_2)$ on the line:

$m=\frac{\Delta y}{\Delta x} =\frac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}$

If:

• $m>0$ The slope is positive and the line is increasing from left to right

• $m<0$ The slope is negative and the line is decreasing from left to right

• If a line is vertical the slope is undefined

• $m=0$   is a constant function.

Since the graph of the linear function shown is increasing from left to right, we can conclude that the slope is positive.