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Algebra / Linear equations in two variables Difficulty: Medium

Line rr is defined by the equation 4x9y=3 4 x - 9 y = 3 . Line ss is parallel to line rr in the xy-plane. What is the slope of line ss ?

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Explanation

Choice B is correct. It's given that line ss is parallel to line rr in the xy-plane. This means that the slope of line rr is equal to the slope of line ss. Line rr is defined by the equation 4x9y=34x-9y=3. This equation can be written in slope-intercept form y=mx+by=mx+b, where mm represents the slope of the line and bb represents the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the line. Subtracting 4x4x from both sides of the equation 4x9y=34x-9y=3 yields 9y=4x+3-9y=-4x+3. Dividing both sides of this equation by 9-9 yields y=49x13y=49x-13. Therefore, the slope of line rr is 4949. Since parallel lines have equal slopes, the slope of line ss is also 4949.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the reciprocal of the slope of line ss, not the slope of line ss.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors. 

Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.