document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=145586>Question 145586</A>This question is from textbook <A HREF=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9780495389736/algebrahomeworkh>intermediate algebra</A><BR>\n" );
document.write( ": <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The linear equation y = 3x – 5 graphs as a horizontal/vertical/diagonal line. I am confused by this. How do you know which it is?  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #106238 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=solver91311><B>solver91311(24713)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=solver91311><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=solver91311><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=106238\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Your equation is in slope-intercept form, that is: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=mx%2Bb ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=mx%2Bb\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Therefore, you know the slope for your equation.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "If the slope, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=m ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"m\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, is:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Equal to zero, you have a horizontal line.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A positive number, you have a line that slants upward from left to right.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A negative number, you have a line that slants downward from left to right.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Undefined, as in <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=a ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=a\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > where a is any real number, then you have a vertical line.  You can see why the slope is undefined by re-writing <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=a ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=a\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > as <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%2B0y=a ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%2B0y=a\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > showing you that you would have to divide by zero to calculate the slope number.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The visual way to do it is to plot the graph of the line.  Pick any value for x, substitute that value for x in the equation, do the arithmetic to find the corresponding y value, and then plot the point (x,y) that you have just derived.  Repeat the process using another value of x.  Draw a line through both points. </SPAN>\n" );
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