Answer:
The slope of the line is -2
Step-by-step explanation:
The rule of the slope of a line is:
[tex]m=\frac{y_{2}-y_{1}}{x_{2}-x_{1}}[/tex] , where
[tex](x_{1},y_{1})[/tex] and [tex](x_{2},y_{2})[/tex] are two points on the line
Let us find the slope using the rule above
∵ The line passes through points (3, -7) and (-1 , 1)
∴ [tex]x_{1}[/tex] = 3 and [tex]x_{2}[/tex] = -1
∴ [tex]y_{1}[/tex] = -7 and [tex]y_{2}[/tex] = 1
Substitute these values in the rule above to find m
∴ [tex]m=\frac{1--7}{-1-3}=\frac{1+7}{-4}=\frac{8}{-4}=-2[/tex]
∴ The slope of the line that passes through the given points is -2