A line with a slope of -10 passes through the point (2, 7). What is its equation in point-slope form?



Use the specified point in your equation. Write your answer using integers, proper fractions, and improper fractions. Simplify all fractions.

Verified Answer :

  • Identify the slope \(m = -10\) and the point \((2, 7)\).
  • Use the point-slope formula: \(y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)\).
  • Substitute the known values into the equation to get the final result: \(\boxed{y - 7 = -10(x - 2)}\).

Explanation

  1. Analyzing the Given Data and Formula

To find the equation of a line in point-slope form, we need to know the slope of the line and a point through which the line passes. The problem provides a slope of \(m = -10\) and a specific point \((x_1, y_1) = (2, 7)\). The point-slope form is a standard way to represent the equation of a linear function and is given by the formula:
\[y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)\]
where \(m\) is the slope and \((x_1, y_1)\) is the given point.

  1. Formulating the Equation

Now, we substitute the given values into the point-slope formula. We have the slope \(m = -10\), and the coordinates of the point \(x_1 = 2\) and \(y_1 = 7\). Substituting these values into the formula \(y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)\), we obtain:
\[y - 7 = -10(x - 2)\]
This equation represents the line in point-slope form, as required by the problem.

  1. Finalizing the Equation

The equation \(y - 7 = -10(x - 2)\) is in the requested point-slope form. No further simplification is required as per the instructions to leave it in this specific format. Thus, the final equation is \(\boxed{y - 7 = -10(x - 2)}\).

Examples

In real-life scenarios, the point-slope form is useful when you are observing a trend and want to quickly construct a model. For example, if a company's profit is changing at a steady rate (the slope) and you know their profit on a specific day (the point), you can use the point-slope form to quickly write an equation for the profit at any other time. It serves as a foundation for linear modeling in business, physics, and engineering.