To find the equation of the line \( y = mx \) that describes the proportional relationship, we first need to determine the slope \( m \) of the line that passes through the points \( (1, 4) \) and \( (2, 8) \).
The formula for the slope \( m \) between two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) is:
\[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]
Substituting the given points \( (1, 4) \) and \( (2, 8) \):
- \( x_1 = 1 \), \( y_1 = 4 \)
- \( x_2 = 2 \), \( y_2 = 8 \)
We can calculate the slope as follows:
\[ m = \frac{8 - 4}{2 - 1} = \frac{4}{1} = 4 \]
Now that we have determined the slope \( m \), the equation of the line that passes through the origin and describes the proportional relationship is:
\[ y = 4x \]
Thus, the equation of the line is:
\[ y = 4x \]