A slope calculator can be a valuable tool if you’re an avid skier (or mathematician). You can use it to measure the gradient of two points on the Cartesian coordinate system. Before you use the slope formula and slope calculator to work out the angle, don’t you want to know what a slope is? 

A slope is a line with a slant value. That value can be undefined, flat at zero, positive, or negative. Read on to learn how to use a slope formula and to find a line equation between two points.

How to Find Slope

1.	Work out what (x₁,y₁) and (x₂,y₂) are on your Cartesian coordinate system. In this example, we’ll use (2, 6) and (-3, 8).
2.	Put the values into the slope formula to find out the slope of the line. You will get (8 – 6) /( -3 – 2).
3.	Subtract the values to get 2 / (-5). 
4.	Simplify the fraction for a slope of -2/5
5.	Compare your result to the slope calculator

You might wonder how the slope formula works and how to find the slope. You need two coordinates on a line. You then measure the change between the rise coordinate (y) and the run coordinate (x). From this point, it’s a case of simple division and subtraction.

The Slope Formula

The slope formula is as follows: 

Slope = (y₂ - y₁) / (x₂ - x₁)

You can calculate the line’s slope by hand with whole numbers. But, the formula is helpful with more significant figures. Another thing you might find interesting is the gradient of the horizontal line. The horizontal line will always have an angle of zero in the slope formula. A vertical line’s slope will not be defined as the x coordinates are the same each time.

What Else You Might Like to Know

Determining a slope can also relate to whether a triangle is a right triangle. If two sides of a triangle have sides that equal -1 once you multiply them, then it’s a right triangle. You can also calculate a slope’s midpoint with the same method as segment endpoints. You can use a midpoint calculator for this equation or take an x and y coordinate average to find it.