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Slope

A quantity which gives the inclination of a curve or line with respect to another curve or line. For a Line in the Plane making an Angle $\theta$ with the x-Axis, the Slope $m$ is a constant given by

\begin{displaymath}
m \equiv {\Delta y\over \Delta x}= \tan\theta,
\end{displaymath}

where $\Delta x$ and $\Delta y$ are changes in the two coordinates over some distance. It is meaningless to talk about the slope in 3-D unless the slope with respect to what is specified.




© 1996-9 Eric W. Weisstein
1999-05-26