Example

Finding the Slope 45\frac{4}{5} from a Graph

A line is graphed on the xyxy-coordinate plane passing through the points (0,3)(0, -3) and (5,1)(5, 1). To find its slope, apply the four-step rise-over-run procedure.

Step 1 — Locate two points with integer coordinates. The points (0,3)(0, -3) and (5,1)(5, 1) both have integer coordinates, so mark them on the graph.

Step 2 — Sketch a right triangle. Starting at the left point (0,3)(0, -3), draw a vertical leg upward to (0,1)(0, 1) and then a horizontal leg to the right to reach (5,1)(5, 1). The line from (0,3)(0, -3) to (5,1)(5, 1) forms the hypotenuse of this right triangle.

Step 3 — Count the rise and the run. The vertical leg goes from 3-3 up to 11, so the rise is 44. The horizontal leg goes from 00 to 55, so the run is 55.

Step 4 — Take the ratio of rise to run:

m=riserun=45m = \frac{\text{rise}}{\text{run}} = \frac{4}{5}

The slope of the line is 45\frac{4}{5}, which means yy increases by 44 units for every 55 units that xx increases. This example demonstrates the same right-triangle technique used on a geoboard, now applied to a line on the coordinate plane.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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