Find the Rate of Change: Analyzing y = -2x + 1

To determine the rate of change of the function given by the equation $y = -2x + 1$, we will follow these steps:

• Step 1: Recognize that the equation is written in slope-intercept form, $y = mx + b$, where $m$ is the slope, or rate of change.
• Step 2: Identify the coefficient of $x$ in the given equation. Here, the equation $y = -2x + 1$ reveals that the coefficient of $x$ is $-2$.

This coefficient $-2$ directly represents the slope $m$ of the function.

Therefore, the rate of change of the function is $m = -2$.