Question

A line in the Cartesian plane passes through the points (–2, 4) and (2, –1). What are the rise and the run of the line?

Answer 1

rise
___
run

y2-y1
____
x2-x1

-1-4
___
2--2

-5
___
4
rise: -5
run: 4

Answer 2

Whether you call it "rise and run", slope, velocity, it all means the rate of change.  Which for a line is constant and it is mathematically:

m=(y2-y1)/(x2-x1), in this case:

m=(-1-4)/(2--2)

m=-5/4 or if you prefer

m=-1.25

Which means that your rise and run is -1.25 to 1.

For every increase in run by one unit, the rise, or height, decreases by 1.25 units.