In algebra, the letter ‘m’ is commonly used to represent the slope of a line in the equation of a straight line, which is typically written as y = mx + b. Here, ‘m’ stands for the slope, which indicates the steepness and direction of the line. The slope is calculated as the ratio of the vertical change (rise) to the horizontal change (run) between two points on the line.
For example, if the equation of a line is y = 2x + 3, the slope ‘m’ is 2. This means that for every unit increase in ‘x’, ‘y’ increases by 2 units. A positive slope indicates that the line is rising from left to right, while a negative slope indicates that the line is falling from left to right.
Understanding the concept of slope is crucial in algebra as it helps in analyzing and interpreting the behavior of linear relationships between variables.