In the equation of a linear function, y = mx + b, the letter m represents the slope of the line. The slope is a measure of how steep the line is and indicates the rate of change of the y-value with respect to the x-value.
More specifically, the slope m quantifies how much y increases or decreases for a unit increase in x. If m is positive, the line rises as it moves from left to right, indicating a direct relationship. Conversely, if m is negative, the line falls, indicating an inverse relationship. If m is zero, the line is horizontal, meaning there is no change in y as x changes.
In summary, in the equation of a linear function, m is crucial for understanding the linear relationship between the variables and the direction and steepness of the line on a graph.