line. The b term is called the y-intercept. The reason for this name is that, if x = 0, then the b term will reveal

where the line intercepts, or crosses, the y-axis. In this example, the line hits the vertical axis at 9. The m term

in the equation for the line is the slope. Remember that slope is defined as rise over run; more specifically, the

slope of a line from one point to another is the change in the vertical axis divided by the change in the

horizontal axis. In this example, each time the x term increases by one (the run), the y term rises by three.

Thus, the slope of this line is three. Specifying a y-intercept and a slope—that is, specifying b and m in the

equation for a line—will identify a specific line. Although it is rare for real-world data points to arrange

themselves as an exact straight line, it often turns out that a straight line can offer a reasonable approximation

of actual data.

Interpreting the Slope
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