Question
Jan Villaroel
Topic: Algebra Posted 10 months ago
A plane departs from an airport at the coordinates (2,3) and heads towards another airport at the coordinates (10,8). Your task is to determine the equation of the flight path.

A plane departs from an airport at the coordinates (2,3) and heads towards another airport at the coordinates (10,8). Your task is to determine the equation of the flight path.

Find the slope of the line representing the flight path using the given coordinates.
Write the equation of the line in the slope-intercept form (y = mx + b).
Explain the significance of each component in the equation in relation to the plane's flight path.
Ensure that your solution includes all the necessary calculations and a brief explanation of each step.


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Koala Tutor
Jan 31, 2024
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To find the slope of the line representing the flight path, we can use the slope formula:

slope (m) = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)

Using the given coordinates, (2,3) and (10,8), we can substitute the values into the formula:

m = (8 - 3) / (10 - 2)
m = 5 / 8

So, the slope of the flight path line is 5/8.

To write the equation of the line in slope-intercept form (y = mx + b), we need to find the y-intercept (b).

Using the point-slope form of a line (y - y1) = m(x - x1), where (x1, y1) are the coordinates of a point on the line and m is the slope, we can choose one of the given points, let's say (2,3), and substitute the values:

(y - 3) = (5/8)(x - 2)

Simplifying this equation, we get:

y - 3 = (5/8)x - 5/4

To isolate y, we can add 3 to both sides:

y = (5/8)x + (5/4) + 3
y = (5/8)x + (5/4) + 12/4
y = (5/8)x + 17/4

So, the equation of the flight path line is y = (5/8)x + 17/4.

In this equation, the component (5/8) represents the slope of the line, which indicates how steep the plane's flight path is. A positive slope indicates an upward trajectory, and a larger absolute value of the slope represents a steeper ascent.

The component (17/4) represents the y-intercept, which is the point where the flight path intersects the y-axis. In this case, the value 17/4 indicates that the plane was above the ground (y-axis) even from the beginning of its flight.

Overall, the equation y = (5/8)x + 17/4 gives us a mathematical representation of the plane's flight path, indicating the slope and the initial height.

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