1. **State the problem:** Find the slope of the line passing through points near (-7, 8) and (7, -8) and crossing the origin (0,0). 2. **Recall the slope formula:** The slope $m$ of a line through two points $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$ is given by $$m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}$$ 3. **Identify points:** Using the approximate points from the graph: - Point 1: $(-7, 8)$ - Point 2: $(7, -8)$ 4. **Calculate the slope:** $$m = \frac{-8 - 8}{7 - (-7)} = \frac{-16}{7 + 7} = \frac{-16}{14}$$ 5. **Simplify the fraction:** $$m = \frac{\cancel{-16}}{\cancel{14}} = \frac{-8}{7}$$ 6. **Interpretation:** The slope of the line is $-\frac{8}{7}$, which means the line falls 8 units vertically for every 7 units it moves horizontally to the right. **Final answer:** $$m = -\frac{8}{7}$$