2007-09-16 14:17:54 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
You don't. It's a vertical line with an undefined slope.
2007-09-16 14:20:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Verdict: vertical lines have NO SLOPE. That is, the concept of slope just doesn't work for vertical lines. The slope doesn't exist!
This relationship is always true: a vertical line will have no slope, and "slope is undefined" means that the line is vertical. (By the way, all verticals are of the form "x = a number", and "x = a number" means the line is vertical. And any time your line involves an undefined slope, the line is vertical, and any time the line is vertical, you'll end up dividing by zero if you try to compute the slope
2007-09-16 21:23:32 · answer #2 · answered by Theta40 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the slope of a vertical line is undefined (infinity).
the slope is calculated by dividing the change in Y by the change in X. Notice that as the line becomes more vertical, the change in X becomes small. A perfectly vertical line has no change in X, so the slope is a number divided by zero.
Since dividing by zero is an undefined operation, the slope itself must also be undefined.
2007-09-16 21:24:14 · answer #3 · answered by davidosterberg1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
x = -3 is a vertical line passing in x = -3. The slope is rise/run as the 'run' is zero and division by zero is not defined the slope is undefined.
2007-09-16 21:25:41 · answer #4 · answered by GPC 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try graphing it to see what it looks like. Put it on the x-y
(Cartesian) plane and you get a vertical line parallel to
the y-axis and 3 units to the left of it. The value of x does
not change not matter what y is, and y can be anything.
Slope = dy/dx, and here dx = 0.
The slope is undefined, since you cannot divide by zero.
2007-09-16 21:22:56 · answer #5 · answered by Reginald 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the slope of any line where x = a number is undefined -- a vertical line
the slope of any line where y = a number is zero -- a horizontal line
2007-09-16 21:22:35 · answer #6 · answered by meego99 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
that slope is undefined... anytime its x = a number, its the same as saying the slope is a number over 0... which isnt real
2007-09-16 21:20:52 · answer #7 · answered by graffiti_joker 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
x = -3 is a vertical line in the x, y plane
so, for any value of y, x = -3
the slope of a vertical line is infinite.
Hope this explanation helps.
2007-09-16 21:23:27 · answer #8 · answered by alrivera_1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
x = -3, or any equation x= ... for that matter, doesn't have a slope.
slope = rise/run.
rise: infinite
run: undefined.
so it's like saying #/0, which is impossible.
also, an equation must have a y-value to have a slope.
2007-09-16 21:24:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is a veritcal line that runs through x = -3. there is no slope since it is not a function
2007-09-16 21:23:29 · answer #10 · answered by Hamma 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋