when writing linear equations, how do you determine which form of a line to use? choose 1 set of points from the choices below. then, solve the problem and post your solution, showing your steps. write an equation in point-slope form for the line that passes through one of the following pairs of points (you may choose the pair you want to work with). then, use the same set of points to write the equation in standard form and again in slope-intercept form. point pairs (5,1),(-3,4),(0,-2),(3,2),(-2,-1),(1,2)

Question

Please help ! I'm am so lost In this one

Answer 1

I don't blame you for being lost, since the question is poorly worded.
Since they started off my talking about linear equations, I had assumed that all the given points lie on the same straight line. But they do not.

anyway...

suppose we take the first two points (5,1) and (-3,4)
I assume you know how to find slope
slope = (4-1)/(-3-5) = 3/-8 = - 3/8

Using point-slope form, I will use (5,1)
y - 1 = (-3/8)(x-5)
times 8
8y - 8 = -3x + 15
3x + 8y = -23 or 3x + 8y + 23 = 0

I haven't taught math in over 17 years but I recall the following

3x + 8y = -23 ------ standard form
3x + 8y + 23 = 0 --- general form

once you have one of these, in two steps I can change them to slope y-intercept form
3x + 8y = -23
8y = -3x - 23
y = (-3/8)x - 23/8

There is also a form simply called the intecept form

start with the standard form
3x + 8y = -23
divide each term by the constant on the right side
3x/-23 + 8y/-23 = 1
x/(-23/3) + y/(-23/8) = 1
the constant below x is the x-intercept
the constant below y is the y-intercept