document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=386384>Question 386384</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> want to solve  y=-2-1/2x? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #273195 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=gwendolyn><B>gwendolyn(128)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-09.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=gwendolyn><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=gwendolyn><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=273195\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> To graph a linear equation, start by putting the equation into slope-intercept form:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "y = mx + b<BR>\n" );
document.write( "where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Your equation is almost in the right form; we just need to reorder the terms on the right hand side:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=-2-%281%2F2%29x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=-2-%281%2F2%29x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y+=+-%281%2F2%29x+-+2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y+=+-%281%2F2%29x+-+2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, or<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y+=+-%281%2F2%29x+%2B+%28-2%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y+=+-%281%2F2%29x+%2B+%28-2%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So, the slope (m) of the line is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-%281%2F2%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-%281%2F2%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and the y-intercept is -2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The y-intercept means the line has a y value of -2 when x = 0.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "This is enough to draw the line, but to make it easier to draw<BR>\n" );
document.write( "we can also find the value of x when y = 0:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=0+=+-%281%2F2%29x+-+2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"0+=+-%281%2F2%29x+-+2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=0+%2B+2+=+-%281%2F2%29x+-+2+%2B+2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"0+%2B+2+=+-%281%2F2%29x+-+2+%2B+2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2+=+-%281%2F2%29x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2+=+-%281%2F2%29x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2%2A%28-2%29+=+-%281%2F2%29%2A%28-2%29x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2%2A%28-2%29+=+-%281%2F2%29%2A%28-2%29x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "-4 = x\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the x intercept (the value of x when y = 0) is -4.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Now we have two points: <BR>\n" );
document.write( "(-4, 0)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(0, -2)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You can use these two points to draw the following graph:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=graph%28300%2C+200%2C+-5%2C+5%2C+-5%2C+5%2C+%28-1%2F2%29x-2%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"graph%28300%2C+200%2C+-5%2C+5%2C+-5%2C+5%2C+%28-1%2F2%29x-2%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );