Slope

Definition

In chemistry, slope refers to the steepness or incline between two points on a graph. It represents how much one variable changes with respect to another variable.

Analogy

Think about going up an escalator at different speeds. The slope represents how fast you are climbing relative to time - if you're climbing quickly, then there's a steep upward slope; if you're climbing slowly, then there's a gentle upward slope.

Related terms

Rise over run: In mathematics, rise over run is used to calculate slope by dividing the change in vertical distance (rise) by the change in horizontal distance (run).

Positive slope: When a line on a graph goes upward from left to right, it has positive slope indicating an increasing trend between two variables.

Negative slope: When a line on a graph goes downward from left to right, it has negative slope indicating a decreasing trend between two variables.