Standard Form Math Help, please.?

Can someone please explain how to do standard form. I know it's ax+by=c, but what does a, and b stand for??





Write the standard form of an equation of the line that passes through the following two points.


(-1, -7) (1,3)





I don't understand it. For the x/y part, can you use any of the pair of #'s. Someone explain!





:) Thanks. Best answer--%26gt; 10 points

Standard Form Math Help, please.?
The whole idea is to have *any* point on the line satisfay teh equation. a and b are the coefficients that form the line's slope (-a/b).





To solve the problem, put the two points into the two-point formula in your textbook. That gives you one form of the line's equation. Use your basic algebra to work this into standard form.





For instance, let's do this for a line passing through (1, 1) and (3, 4):





Two point form:


(y-y1) = m(x-x1), where m = (y2-y1)/(x2-x1)





Plugging in the point coordinates:


(y-1) = (4-1)/(3-1) * (x-1)


y-1 = 4/3 (x-1)


3(y-1) = 4(x-1)


3y - 3 = 4x -4


-4x + 3y = -1


-- OR --


4x - 3y = 1





There's the line in standard form.


Now it's your turn.
Reply:OMG so easy im in 8th grade and we learned this just like 1 1/2 month ago!





okay so standard form is ax+b=c (i even got math notes!)


and you have (-1,-7) and (1,3)





so first find the slope


so do y2-y1


---------


x2-x1





so its gonna be 3+7


-----


1+1





so its 10 over 2 which is 5





so you have the slope as 5





now ax+by=c





slope is a





so its 5x + ...... ahh it's hard doing this on the computer... lol im too tired, sorry i tried, well at least i helped