What is the slope of the line through points (0, 2) and (4, 6)?

• A. 1
• B. 0
• C. -1
• D. 2

Answer: (A)

Slope measures how steep a line is by comparing how much y changes when x changes. Between the given points, y goes from 2 to 6 (rise 4) while x goes from 0 to 4 (run 4). So the slope is rise over run = 4/4 = 1. This means the line climbs one unit for every one unit to the right. The line’s equation is y = x + 2, which indeed gives (0, 2) and (4, 6). If the slope were 0, the line would be horizontal; if it were negative, the line would fall as x increases; if it were 2, the point (4, 6) wouldn’t lie on it.