A line rises 4 units for every 1 unit run. What is its slope?

A line rises 4 units for every 1 unit run. What is its slope?

• A. 1/4
• B. 0
• C. 4
• D. -4

Answer: (C)

Slope is the rise over the run, the vertical change divided by the horizontal change. If the line rises 4 units for every 1 unit of run, the slope is 4/1 = 4, meaning for each 1 unit you move to the right, you go up 4 units. This reflects a steep, upward line; the other possibilities would correspond to different scenarios (a small rise for a large run, a flat line with no rise, or a line that falls as you move to the right), but here the rise-to-run ratio gives a slope of 4.

Slope is the rise over the run, the vertical change divided by the horizontal change. If the line rises 4 units for every 1 unit of run, the slope is 4/1 = 4, meaning for each 1 unit you move to the right, you go up 4 units. This reflects a steep, upward line; the other possibilities would correspond to different scenarios (a small rise for a large run, a flat line with no rise, or a line that falls as you move to the right), but here the rise-to-run ratio gives a slope of 4.