What describes the steepness of a line on a graph?

Study for the Bachelor of Business and Economics (BBE) Entrance test. Focus on Math with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each accompanied by hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What describes the steepness of a line on a graph?

The steepness of a line is captured by slope, which is the ratio of how much the y-value changes to how much the x-value changes (rise over run). On a line described by y = mx + b, the slope m is exactly this rate of change: a larger slope means a steeper line, a smaller slope means a gentler one, and a slope of zero means a horizontal line. For example, moving from (0,0) to (2,4) gives a slope of 4/2 = 2, a fairly steep line; moving from (0,0) to (3,1) gives a slope of 1/3, which is much less steep. The other terms don’t describe how steep a line is: velocity relates to motion, prerequisites are conditions needed beforehand, and substitute goods are economics terms. So slope is the precise descriptor of a line’s steepness.

The steepness of a line is captured by slope, which is the ratio of how much the y-value changes to how much the x-value changes (rise over run). On a line described by y = mx + b, the slope m is exactly this rate of change: a larger slope means a steeper line, a smaller slope means a gentler one, and a slope of zero means a horizontal line. For example, moving from (0,0) to (2,4) gives a slope of 4/2 = 2, a fairly steep line; moving from (0,0) to (3,1) gives a slope of 1/3, which is much less steep. The other terms don’t describe how steep a line is: velocity relates to motion, prerequisites are conditions needed beforehand, and substitute goods are economics terms. So slope is the precise descriptor of a line’s steepness.

More practice questions