To determine the x- and y-intercepts of a line, we need to substitute 0 for one variable, solve, then repeat for the other variable.
Finding the x-intercept
Think of the point where the graph of an equation crosses the x-axis. The y-value of that ( x, y) coordinate pair is 0, and the x-value is the x-intercept. To find the x-intercept of the equation, we should substitute 0 for y and solve for x.
An x-intercept of 3 means that the graph passes through the x-axis at the point ( 3,0).
Finding the y-intercept
Let's use the same concept to find the y-intercept. Consider the point where the graph of the equation crosses the y-axis. The x-value of the ( x, y) coordinate pair at the y-intercept is 0. Therefore, substituting 0 for x will give us the y-intercept.
