Enter two points to instantly find the slope, angle, percentage grade, distance, and line equation. Shows all four slope formats and the y = mx + b equation.
Slope is a measure of how steep a line is — the ratio of vertical change (rise) to horizontal change (run) between any two points on the line. A positive slope goes up from left to right; negative goes down. A slope of 0 is horizontal; undefined slope is vertical.
The slope formula is m = (y₂ − y₁) / (x₂ − x₁), where (x₁, y₁) and (x₂, y₂) are two points on the line. This is often remembered as "rise over run." The slope m is also the coefficient of x in the slope-intercept equation y = mx + b.
Slope is a ratio (rise/run) often expressed as a decimal or fraction. Grade (or gradient) is slope expressed as a percentage: grade = slope × 100. A highway with a 6% grade rises 6 feet for every 100 feet of horizontal distance. Angle is slope expressed in degrees using the arctangent function.