Using Standard Form
The standard form of writing a line is where (A,) and are integers.
This form is particularly useful for determining both the - and -intercepts of a line. We can determine the -intercept by substituting 0 for and solving for Similarly, we can determine the -intercept of the line by substituting 0 for and solving for
If the equation of a line is what are the -intercept and -intercept of the line?
To find the -intercept, we substitute 0 for and solve:
To find the -intercept, we substitute 0 for and solve:
The -intercept is and the -intercept is
If the -intercept and -intercept of a line are and , respectively, what is the equation of the line?
Dividing both sides of the standard form equation by yields the equation Given this equation, the -intercept is and the -intercept is
Since our -intercept is 5, Since our -intercept is 6,
Substituting our known values into the equation, we have Multiplying both sides by yields .