Find the slopes of lines PQ and PR.

Question

Find the slopes of lines PQ and PR. (Assume a ≠ −b.)

P(a, a + b); Q(a + b, b); R(a − b, a)

slope of PQ _______

slope of PR________

Answer 1

Hi Megan H., In each problem use the two endpoints (P and Q in the first one). Plug the x- and y-coordinates into the slope formula which is slope = (y2 - y1)/(x2 - x1). Then simplify the fraction. It does not matter which point you call the first one, and which you call the second one in each computation. Tom S.