What is the slope of the line through (0, 0) and (3, 6)?

• A. 1/2
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 0

Answer: (B)

To find the slope, use rise over run: how much the line goes up (change in y) for each unit it moves right (change in x). For the points (0,0) and (3,6), the rise is 6 − 0 = 6 and the run is 3 − 0 = 3. So the slope is 6/3 = 2. This means the line climbs 2 units for every 1 unit it moves to the right.

The other values come from mixing up the order or imagining no vertical change: 1/2 would come from swapping rise and run, 3 would require a larger rise relative to the run than what occurs here, and 0 would mean no vertical change, which isn’t the case between these points.