Line Math Example 3
Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.
Example 3
easyWhat is the slope of a horizontal line? What is the slope of a vertical line?
Solution
- 1 Step 1: A horizontal line has the same y-value everywhere, so rise = 0. Slope .
- 2 Step 2: A vertical line has the same x-value everywhere, so run = 0. Slope , which is undefined.
Answer
Horizontal line: slope . Vertical line: slope is undefined.
Slope is rise divided by run. No rise means zero slope. No run means we would divide by zero, which is undefined — vertical lines cannot be written in the form . They are written as instead.
About Line
A perfectly straight path extending infinitely in both directions through two distinct points, with no thickness.
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