Graph the line that passes through the points left parenthesis, 8, comma, minus, 7, right parenthesis(8,−7) and left parenthesis, minus, 7, comma, 8, right parenthesis(−7,8) and determine the equation of the line.

1 answer

To find the equation of the line that passes through the points \( (8, -7) \) and \( (-7, 8) \), we can follow these steps:

  1. Calculate the slope (m) of the line using the slope formula: \[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \] Here, \( (x_1, y_1) = (8, -7) \) and \( (x_2, y_2) = (-7, 8) \).

    Substitute the values into the formula: \[ m = \frac{8 - (-7)}{-7 - 8} = \frac{8 + 7}{-15} = \frac{15}{-15} = -1 \]

  2. Use the point-slope form of the line to find the equation of the line. The point-slope form is given by: \[ y - y_1 = m(x - x_1) \] We can use one of the points, say \( (8, -7) \): \[ y - (-7) = -1(x - 8) \] Simplifying the equation: \[ y + 7 = -1(x - 8) \] \[ y + 7 = -x + 8 \] \[ y = -x + 1 \]

  3. Convert to slope-intercept form: The equation of the line in slope-intercept form is: \[ y = -x + 1 \]

  4. Graph the line: To graph \( y = -x + 1 \):

    • Start with the y-intercept (0, 1).
    • The slope is -1, meaning for every 1 unit to the right, the line goes down 1 unit.

Now, you can plot the points \( (8, -7) \) and \( (-7, 8) \), and draw a straight line through them, following the slope.

Thus, the equation of the line is: \[ \boxed{y = -x + 1} \]