Page 23 - Calculus Demystified

10
y CHAPTER 1 Basics

x

Fig. 1.14

y

Q

P
x

Fig. 1.15

We could just as easily have used the points P = (−1, 0) and R = (3, 6) to
calculate the slope:

6 − 0 6 3
m = = = .
3 − (−1) 4 2
If a line has slope m, then, for each unit of motion from left to right, the line
rises m units. In the last example, the line rises 3/2 units for each unit of motion to
the right. Or one could say that the line rises 3 units for each 2 units of motion to
the right.