How Do You Find the Slope When an Equation Is in Standard Form?
Last Updated Apr 13, 2020 4:41:18 AM ET
To find the slope of a line in standard form, convert the line to slope intercept form. In slope intercept form, y = mx+b, m is the slope.
- Write the equation in slope-intercept form
The first step in finding the slope of a line that is written in standard form is to write the equation in slope-intercept form, y=mx+b. To do this, rearrange the variables. The standard form, Ax + By = C can be rewritten as By = -Ax + C.
- Divide by B to simplify
In the equation By = -Ax + C, B needs to be distributed through the equation. To do this, divide both sides by B. The answer is y = (-A/B)x + C/B.
- Find the slope
Once the equation of the line is in slope-intercept form and is simplified, then the slope equals the term in front of the x variable. In the standard form from step 2, the slope is -A/B.
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