Given an equation of a line in any form, we are able to find the x and y intercepts of a line using some properties.
Y-Intercept
All points on the y-axis have one thing in common. They all have an x coordinate of 0. Due to this property, we can find the y-intercept by substituting the value x = 0 into the equation. This will give us the y-intercept.
Find the y-intercept of 3x – 5y = 15.
We substitute x = 0 into the equation and solve for y.
3x – 5y = 15
3(0) – 5y = 1500
-5y = 15
y = -3
Thus, the y-intercept is at the point (0, -3).
X-Intercept
The x-intercept can also be called the roots or zeroes.
Finding the x-intercept of a line is very similar to finding the y-intercept. All points on the x-axis have a y-coordinate of 0, and thus we can substitute y = 0 into the equation and then solve for x.
Find the x-intercept of 3x – 5y = 15.
3x – 5y = 15
3x – 5(0) = 15
3x = 15
x = 5
Thus the x-intercept is at point (5, 0).
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This article was written for you by Jeremie, one of the tutors with Test Prep Academy.