Back to 'Unit 2: Kinematics in a Straight Line'

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  • 2.8: Graphical Analysis

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    When graphing two variables against each other, we generally define the dependent variable as the variable on the vertical axis (y-axis) and the independent variable as the variable on the horizontal axis (x-axis). When plotting a straight line, we use the equation y = mx + b , where m is the slope and b is the y−intercept of the line.

    We define slope as:

    m={\frac{rise}{run}}=\frac{\Delta y}{\Delta x}=\frac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}

    The y−intercept is the point where the line crosses the y-axis of the graph.