Im trying to determine the y and x intercepts of this line.

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In summary, the student is trying to find the x- and y-intercepts of the line 3x – 5y + 15 = 0. He finds that the x-intercept is -5 and the y-intercept is -3.
  • #1
Kirito123
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Homework Statement


I am trying to determine the x- and y-intercepts of the line 3x – 5y + 15 = 0.

Homework Equations


standard form

The Attempt at a Solution

:[/B]

To find the x-intercept (where the line crosses the x-axis), substitute 0 in for y:
3x + 5y + 15 = 0 (substituted 0 in for y)
3x + 5(0) + 15 = 0 (multiply 5 by 0)
3x + 15 = 0 (Next ,subtract 15 from both sides)
3x = -15 (divided both sides by 3)
x = -5
x-intercept = -5.I will use this method to solve for the y-intercept.To find the y-intercept (where the line crosses the y-axis), substitute 0 in for x:
3x + 5y + 15 = 0 (substituted 0 in for x)
3(0) + 5y + 15 = 0 (multiply 3 by 0)
5y + 15 = 0 (Next ,subtract 15 from both sides)
5y = -15 (divided both sides by 5)
y = -3
y-intercept = -3I'm pretty sure I did it correct but i just want to be sure I understand what I'm doing and answering it correctly. Also can you guys tell me if my way is like clear, as in you can understand it. Thx a lot :)
 
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  • #2
Kirito123 said:

Homework Statement


I am trying to determine the x- and y-intercepts of the line 3x – 5y + 15 = 0.

Homework Equations


standard form

The Attempt at a Solution

:[/B]

To find the x-intercept (where the line crosses the x-axis), substitute 0 in for y:
3x + 5y + 15 = 0 (substituted 0 in for y)
3x + 5(0) + 15 = 0 (multiply 5 by 0)
3x + 15 = 0 (Next ,subtract 15 from both sides)
3x = -15 (divided both sides by 3)
x = -5
x-intercept = -5.I will use this method to solve for the y-intercept.To find the y-intercept (where the line crosses the y-axis), substitute 0 in for x:
3x + 5y + 15 = 0 (substituted 0 in for x)
3(0) + 5y + 15 = 0 (multiply 3 by 0)
5y + 15 = 0 (Next ,subtract 15 from both sides)
5y = -15 (divided both sides by 5)
y = -3
y-intercept = -3I'm pretty sure I did it correct but i just want to be sure I understand what I'm doing and answering it correctly. Also can you guys tell me if my way is like clear, as in you can understand it. Thx a lot :)

It seems correct, but why do you substitute? Do you understand that?
 
  • #3
Sorry what do you mean by bold?
 
  • #4
Kirito123 said:
Sorry what do you mean by bold?

Nothing, was just a code error. Could you answer the question so I can see whether you understand why you can do this to solve the exercice?
 
  • #5
Well my dad kinda just taught me this way, so you would try to isolate the variable y( you can start with x but I am starting with y). so to isolate the variable i have to move some values to the other side of the equations. I searched online and it said i should substitute the variable y for 0. I don't know why but i did ( my dad didnt tell me to do that i did it on my own). So I did and continue the way my dad taught me and got my final result.
 
  • #6
Kirito123 said:
Well my dad kinda just taught me this way, so you would try to isolate the variable y( you can start with x but I am starting with y). so to isolate the variable i have to move some values to the other side of the equations. I searched online and it said i should substitute the variable y for 0. I don't know why but i did ( my dad didnt tell me to do that i did it on my own). So I did and continue the way my dad taught me and got my final result.

Wel you can consider it this way. The y-axe has equation: x = 0, so this are all the points with x coordinate 0. You want to know where your line intersects with the y-axis, and you know that the x-coordinate should be 0. Since you say x = 0 in the equation, you will automatically get the y value corresponding with this x-value. Is this clear? (I need to go to school now btw, so I won't reply for a couple of hours)
 
  • #7
Wow that really helps thanks a lot ill keep that in mind while i answer my next problem :)

thx you !
 

1. What are x and y intercepts?

X and y intercepts are points where a line crosses the x-axis and y-axis, respectively. They represent the coordinates where the line intersects with these axes.

2. How do I determine the x intercept of a line?

To determine the x intercept of a line, you need to set the value of y to 0 and solve for x. This will give you the x-coordinate of the point where the line crosses the x-axis.

3. How do I determine the y intercept of a line?

To determine the y intercept of a line, you need to set the value of x to 0 and solve for y. This will give you the y-coordinate of the point where the line crosses the y-axis.

4. What is the equation for finding the x intercept of a line?

The equation for finding the x intercept of a line is y = mx + b, where m is the slope of the line and b is the y-intercept. To find the x-intercept, set y = 0 and solve for x.

5. Can a line have multiple x and y intercepts?

Yes, a line can have multiple x and y intercepts. This can happen when the line intersects with the x-axis or y-axis at multiple points, or when it intersects with both axes at the same point.

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