16Hit1600
AlgebraEasy–MediumLine through the origin with slope −1

Algebra practice question

Which equation represents a line in the xy-plane that has a slope of −1 and passes through the origin?

  1. A. y = −xCorrect
  2. B. y = x − 1
  3. C. y = −1
  4. D. x = −1

Answer: A. y = −x

Slope −1 with y-intercept 0 gives y = −1 · x + 0 = −x. Check: (0, 0) satisfies it.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. y = x − 1
y = x − 1 has slope +1 and doesn't pass through the origin.
C. y = −1
y = −1 is a horizontal line with slope 0.
D. x = −1
x = −1 is a vertical line and doesn't pass through the origin.

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