Need help with Algebra problem - slopes

[LearnFromHome]

y = -2x/3 + 2

 

I'm having trouble whether the 3 should be negative or positive.

 

I start by finding 2 on the y axis then rise -2 but not sure if three should be positive or negative.

 

Thank you!

Judy

[Martha in GA]

You can either count two down (-2) and go three to the right (+3); or, you can count two up (+2) and count three to the left (-3). Does that help?

 

Martha

[Laurie in CA]

I like to picture slope this way: If the slope is positive the line will actually go up (from left to right); if the slope is negative the line will go down (from left to right). If it's negative ask yourself how you can make the line go down.

Draw it with your finger in the air like steps: down, right, down right from the y-axis, then up, left, up, left from the y-axis. You should end up with a staircase going down from the left to the right. I usually have my student plot a point on each side of the y-axis, then draw the line connecting them to the y-intercept. To determine if the slope is 0 or undefined, I look at the line and if I can "walk on the line" it is 0 (zero effort), hence a horizontal line. If the line is vertical, I can't walk on it, I "hit the wall", therefore it is undefined.