SOLUTION: how do you find the intercepts for the graph of the equation x^2+y-36=0? Do you start by first solving the equation?

Algebra ->  Coordinate-system -> SOLUTION: how do you find the intercepts for the graph of the equation x^2+y-36=0? Do you start by first solving the equation?      Log On


   

Question 102686: how do you find the intercepts for the graph of the equation x^2+y-36=0? Do you start by first solving the equation?
Answer by Earlsdon(6294) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
No! because with two unknowns (x and y) you couldn't do that.
All you need to do is to first to recognise that the x-intercept occurs at y = 0 and the y-intercept occurs at x = 0.
So, you can set y = 0 and solve for the corresponding value of x for the x-intercept. Let's do that first.
x%5E2%2By-36+=+0 Set y = 0 and solve for x.
x%5E2%2B0-36+=+0 Add 36 to both sides.
x%5E2+=+36 Take the square root of both sides.
x+=+6 or x+=+-6 These are the x-intercepts.
Now set x = 0 and solve for y.
x%5E2%2By-36+=0 Set x = 0
0%2By-36+=+0 Add 36 to both sides.
y+=+36 This is the y-intercept.
Let's look at the graph of the equation to see this result.
graph%28400%2C600%2C-10%2C10%2C-5%2C40%2C-x%5E2%2B36%29