Payton's calculation for the slope is incorrect.
The formula for the slope \( m \) of a line given two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) is:
\[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]
In this case, the points are \((6, -2)\) and \((0, 8)\). We can assign:
- \( (x_1, y_1) = (6, -2) \)
- \( (x_2, y_2) = (0, 8) \)
Now, substituting into the formula:
\[ m = \frac{8 - (-2)}{0 - 6} = \frac{8 + 2}{0 - 6} = \frac{10}{-6} = -\frac{5}{3} \]
Payton incorrectly mixed up the order of the coordinates and ended up calculating the slope as \(-35\) when, in fact, the correct slope is \(-\frac{5}{3}\). Therefore, the appropriate explanation is that Payton is incorrect because she calculated the change in \(y\) over the change in \(x\) incorrectly, and she did not use the correct coordinates properly in her formula.