1. Define the slope formula: slope $m$ is given by the ratio of the rise (vertical change) over the run (horizontal change). 2. Write this as an equation: $$m=\frac{\text{rise}}{\text{run}}$$ 3. Given specific values for rise and run, substitute them into the formula. For example, if rise is 4 and run is 2, then $$m=\frac{4}{2}$$ 4. Simplify the fraction: $$m=2$$ 5. Interpret the result: a slope of 2 means for every 1 unit you move horizontally, the value rises by 2 units vertically. Thus, slope is calculated by dividing the vertical change by the horizontal change.