how do you interpret a slope of a function, such as m=40

Answer 1

the larger the absolute value of the slope, the steeper the line

the smaller the absolute value of the slope the less steep the line

as the absolute value of the slope gets larger and larger the more the line starts to approach a vertical line

as the absolute value of the slope gets smaller and smaller the more the line starts to approach a horizontal line

Answer 2

To understand slopes, plot the function on graph paper. For the typical x-y plot, "slope" is defined as the change in y divided by the change in x. If the function is not linear (meaning that it plots as a straight line), then we get the slope at a given point by using a tangent line.