The slope-intercept form of a linear equation is expressed as:
\[ y = mx + b \]
where:
- \( y \) is the dependent variable (the output value),
- \( x \) is the independent variable (the input value),
- \( m \) represents the slope of the line, which indicates how steep the line is and the direction it moves (positive slope goes up, negative slope goes down),
- \( b \) is the y-intercept, which is the point where the line crosses the y-axis (when \( x = 0 \)).
This form is particularly useful because it makes it easy to identify the slope and y-intercept of the line, and it allows for quick graphing of linear equations.