Questions: What is the slope of the line that passes through the points (5,8) and (11,5) ? Write your answer in simplest form.

Solution Steps

The given points are \((5, 8)\) and \((11, 5)\). Let \((x_1, y_1) = (5, 8)\) and \((x_2, y_2) = (11, 5)\).

The slope \(m\) of a line passing through two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) is given by: \[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]

Substitute the coordinates into the slope formula: \[ m = \frac{5 - 8}{11 - 5} = \frac{-3}{6} \]

Simplify \(\frac{-3}{6}\) by dividing the numerator and denominator by 3: \[ m = \frac{-1}{2} \]

Final Answer