Suggested languages for you:

Americas

Europe

Q. 2

Expert-verified
Found in: Page 532

### Geometry

Book edition Student Edition
Author(s) Ray C. Jurgensen, Richard G. Brown, John W. Jurgensen
Pages 227 pages
ISBN 9780395977279

# What can you say about the slope of (a) the x-axis? And (b) the y-axis?

1. The slope of $x-\text{axis}$ is 0.
2. The slope o f$x-\text{axis}$ is undefined.
See the step by step solution

## Part a. Step-1 – Given

The given axis is $x-\text{axis}$.

## Step-2 – To determine

We have to find the slope of the $x-\text{axis}$.

## Step-3 – Calculation

Slope formula of a line with two points $\left({x}_{1},{y}_{1}\right)\text{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}and\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}\left({x}_{2},{y}_{2}\right)$is:$m=\frac{{y}_{2}-{y}_{1}}{{x}_{2}-{x}_{1}}$

Let us take any two points (-1, 0) and (2, 0) on the .

Slope of the line joining these two points, i.e., the slope of $x-\text{axis}$ is: $m=\frac{0-0}{\left(2\right)-\left(-1\right)}=0$

So, the slope of theis 0.

## Part b. Step-1 – Given

The given axis is $y-\text{axis}$.

## Step-2 – To determine

We have to find the slope of the $y-\text{axis}$.

## Step-3 – Calculation

Slope formula of a line with two points $\left({x}_{1},{y}_{1}\right)\text{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}and\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}\left({x}_{2},{y}_{2}\right)\text{is}$

$m=\frac{{y}_{2}-{y}_{1}}{{x}_{2}-{x}_{1}}$

Let us take any two points (0, 1) and (0, 3) on the $y-\text{axis}$.

Slope of the line joining these two points, i.e., the slope of is $y-\text{axis}$:

$m=\frac{3-1}{0-0}=\frac{2}{0}=\text{undefined}$

So, the slope of the is undefined.