Finding slope given two points on a line Find the slope of the line passing through the points \( (3,8) \) and \( (7,-7) \). \( \square \)

To find the slope of the line passing through the points \( (3, 8) \) and \( (7, -7) \), you can use the slope formula \( m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \). Plugging in the values: \( m = \frac{-7 - 8}{7 - 3} = \frac{-15}{4} \). So, the slope is \( -\frac{15}{4} \). Slope is not just a number; it's the direction and steepness of a line! A positive slope indicates the line rises as you move from left to right, while a negative slope, like yours, shows it falls. This can be incredibly helpful in fields like physics or economics, where understanding trends is crucial.