Math  /  Algebra

QuestionExplain the process of finding the xx-intercept of a linear equation.
Describe how you would graph a linear function using its intercepts.
Why is it useful to know the intercepts of a linear function?

Studdy Solution

STEP 1

What is this asking? We need to explain how to find the *x*-intercept of a line, how to graph a line using its intercepts, and why knowing the intercepts is helpful! Watch out! Don't mix up the *x*-intercept and the *y*-intercept!

STEP 2

1. Find the *x*-intercept
2. Graph using intercepts
3. Why intercepts are useful

STEP 3

To **find the *x*-intercept** of a linear equation, we need to figure out where the line crosses the *x*-axis.
Remember, the *x*-axis is where the *y*-value is **zero**!

STEP 4

So, we **set**  y=0\ y = 0 in our linear equation.
Let's say our equation is y=2x+4 y = 2x + 4 .
Substituting  y=0\ y = 0 , we get 0=2x+4 0 = 2x + 4 .

STEP 5

Now, we **solve for**  x\ x .
Subtracting 4 from both sides gives us 4=2x -4 = 2x .
Then, dividing both sides by 2 gives us x=2 x = -2 .

STEP 6

So, our *x*-intercept is  (2,0)\ (-2, 0) .
Remember, it's a point, an address on the graph, not just a number!

STEP 7

To **graph a line using its intercepts**, we need both the *x*-intercept and the *y*-intercept.
We already know how to find the *x*-intercept.
The *y*-intercept is where the line crosses the *y*-axis, so  x=0\ x = 0 .

STEP 8

Let's use our example equation, y=2x+4 y = 2x + 4 . **Set**  x=0\ x = 0 to get y=20+4 y = 2 \cdot 0 + 4 , which simplifies to y=4 y = 4 .
So, our *y*-intercept is  (0,4)\ (0, 4) .

STEP 9

Now, we have two points: the *x*-intercept  (2,0)\ (-2, 0) and the *y*-intercept  (0,4)\ (0, 4) . **Plot these two points** on a graph.

STEP 10

Finally, **draw a straight line** through these two points.
That's it!
You've graphed the line using its intercepts.

STEP 11

Intercepts give us a **quick and easy way to graph a line**.
We only need two points to define a line, and the intercepts are often easy to calculate.

STEP 12

In real-world problems, the intercepts can have **important meanings**.
For example, if *x* represents time and *y* represents distance, the *y*-intercept could be the **starting distance**, and the *x*-intercept could be the **time it takes to reach a distance of zero**.

STEP 13

Intercepts can also help us **understand the behavior of a linear function**.
The *x*-intercept tells us where the function equals zero, which can be important in many applications.

STEP 14

We found that the *x*-intercept is found by setting  y=0\ y = 0 and solving for  x\ x .
We graphed a line using its intercepts by finding both the *x*-intercept and *y*-intercept, plotting them, and drawing a line through them.
Finally, we saw that intercepts are useful for graphing, interpreting real-world problems, and understanding function behavior.

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