Slope Calculator

Enter two points to find the slope, the line's equation, the distance between them, the midpoint, and the angle of inclination.

Two Points

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How to Find the Slope of a Line

The slope of a line through two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) is the "rise over run": m = (y2 − y1) / (x2 − x1). A positive slope rises from left to right, a negative slope falls, a slope of zero is a flat horizontal line, and a vertical line has an undefined slope because the change in x is zero.

Once you have the slope, you can write the line's equation in slope-intercept form (y = mx + b, solving for the y-intercept b), or in standard form (Ax + By = C), which also correctly represents vertical lines that slope-intercept form cannot.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you find the slope between two points?+

Slope (m) equals the change in y divided by the change in x: m = (y2 − y1) / (x2 − x1). It measures how steep a line is and in which direction it moves.

What does a negative, positive, zero or undefined slope mean?+

A positive slope rises left to right, a negative slope falls left to right, a zero slope is a perfectly horizontal line, and an undefined slope is a perfectly vertical line (since dividing by a zero change in x is impossible).

How do you write the equation of a line from two points?+

First find the slope, then use one point with the point-slope form y − y1 = m(x − x1), and simplify into slope-intercept form (y = mx + b) or standard form (Ax + By = C).

What is the difference between slope-intercept form and standard form?+

Slope-intercept form (y = mx + b) directly shows the slope and y-intercept, which is handy for graphing. Standard form (Ax + By = C) is often preferred in algebra for solving systems of equations and handles vertical lines, which slope-intercept form cannot represent.

How do you find the distance between two points?+

Use the distance formula, which comes from the Pythagorean theorem: d = √[(x2 − x1)² + (y2 − y1)²].