First choose two points that are on the line and label the points P1 and P2.
Note that the points you choose don't necessarily have to be data points, but they must be on the line.
P1(2, 7) and P2(7, 25) |
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Now let's use our formula
to find the slope:
Slope
= rise/run
= (y2 – y1)/(x2 – x1)
= (25 – 7)/(7 – 2)
= (18)/(5)
= 3.6 |
So, the slope of the line in our example is 3.6.
Units must be included for the slope. In this case, the y-values (position) are measured in metres (m), while the x-values (time) are measured in seconds (s). Since slope = (y2 – y1)/(x2 – x1), the slope units must be metres/seconds, or m/s.
Therefore, slope = 3.6 m/s. |
