Example 5. Find the slope of the line given by the equation 3 = - y - 15x

  1. y + 3 = - 15x
  2. = - 15
  3. m = - 15

We can see from the steps for finding slope and from these examples that the constant term does not affect the slope.

Once we know the slope of an equation, we can find a point that satisfies the equation by plugging in a value for x and solving. Then we can plot this point and graph the equation.