In the equation y = mx + b, what does m represent?

In the equation y = mx + b, what does m represent?

• A. The y-intercept
• B. The constant term
• C. The slope
• D. The x-coordinate of a point

Answer: (C)

In y = mx + b, m is the slope—the rate at which y changes as x changes. It tells how steep the line is and its direction. For each 1 unit increase in x, y changes by m units: a positive m means the line rises, a negative m means it falls, and a zero m means the line is horizontal. The y-intercept, b, is where the line crosses the y-axis. The x-coordinate of a point on the line isn’t determined by m. (Vertical lines can’t be written in this form because the slope would be undefined.)

In y = mx + b, m is the slope—the rate at which y changes as x changes. It tells how steep the line is and its direction. For each 1 unit increase in x, y changes by m units: a positive m means the line rises, a negative m means it falls, and a zero m means the line is horizontal. The y-intercept, b, is where the line crosses the y-axis. The x-coordinate of a point on the line isn’t determined by m. (Vertical lines can’t be written in this form because the slope would be undefined.)