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Concept

Positive and Negative Slopes

The sign of a line's slope reveals which direction the line tilts when read from left to right:

  • A line with a positive slope rises as it moves from left to right. Moving along such a line, the y-values increase.
  • A line with a negative slope falls as it moves from left to right. Moving along such a line, the y-values decrease.

This visual rule provides a quick way to classify a line's slope without calculation: if the line goes uphill (left to right), its slope is positive; if it goes downhill, its slope is negative.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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