Slope Calculator

What is the Slope Calculator?

The slope of a line tells you how steep it is and which direction it tilts. It's one of the first things you calculate in algebra and one of the last things you stop using, slope shows up in calculus derivatives, physics velocity problems, and engineering gradients. CalciHub's slope calculator takes two coordinate points and gives you the slope, the angle of inclination, and the equation of the line in both slope-intercept and standard form.

How Does It Work?

Slope is the ratio of vertical change to horizontal change between two points. "Rise over run" is the shorthand most people remember. A positive slope means the line goes up from left to right. Negative means it goes down. Zero slope means horizontal. Undefined slope means the line is perfectly vertical.

m = (y₂ − y₁) / (x₂ − x₁)

• m = slope of the line

• y₂ − y₁ = vertical change (rise)

• x₂ − x₁ = horizontal change (run)

• (x₁, y₁) = first point

• (x₂, y₂) = second point

How to Use CalciHub's Slope Calculator

1. Enter the x and y values for your first point.

2. Enter the x and y values for your second point.

3. Click Calculate to get the slope.

4. The tool also displays the line equation (y = mx + b) and the angle in degrees.

Tip: If x₁ = x₂, the slope is undefined, that's a vertical line, and the calculator will flag it.

A Quick Example

Two points: (2, 3) and (6, 11). The rise is 11 − 3 = 8. The run is 6 − 2 = 4. Slope m = 8/4 = 2. The line rises 2 units for every 1 unit it moves to the right. The y-intercept: using y = mx + b, plug in one point, 3 = 2(2) + b, so b = −1. The equation is y = 2x − 1. The angle of inclination is arctan(2) ≈ 63.43 degrees.

A slope of 2 is steeper than a slope of 1 but not as steep as it might feel, the angle is just over 63 degrees, which you can picture as a fairly sharp incline.

Frequently Asked Questions