Which of the following represents the slope of a line in the equation y = mx + b?

In the equation of a line given by the slope-intercept form, (y = mx + b), the variable (m) specifically represents the slope of the line. The slope indicates how steep the line is, and it describes the rate of change of (y) with respect to (x). A positive slope means that as (x) increases, (y) also increases, while a negative slope indicates that as (x) increases, (y) decreases.

The term (b) in this equation represents the y-intercept, the point where the line crosses the y-axis. The variables (x) and (y) are the coordinates of points on the line and do not indicate the slope directly. Therefore, the correct identification of the slope in the equation is indeed the value (m). Understanding this relationship is crucial for graphing lines and analyzing their behavior in coordinate geometry.