An equation of the line in the slope-intercept form is y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept.
To find the slope of the given line, let's isolate y and find m, according to the steps below.
Step 01: Add 5x to both sides of the equation.
[tex]\begin{gathered} -5x+8y+5x=-18+5x \\ 0+8y=5x-18 \\ 8y=5x-18 \end{gathered}[/tex]Step 02: Divide both sides by 8.
[tex]\begin{gathered} \frac{8y}{8}=\frac{5x-18}{8} \\ y=\frac{5}{8}x-\frac{18}{8} \\ which\text{ is the same as:} \\ y=\frac{5}{8}x-\frac{9}{4} \end{gathered}[/tex]Step 03: Compare the equation with the general equation.
[tex]\begin{gathered} y=\frac{5}{8}x-\frac{9}{4} \\ y=mx+b \end{gathered}[/tex]So, the slope m is 5/8.
Answer: The slope is 5/8.