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Question 142793: Explain in your own words the basic method for graphing a linear equation. Provide an example of a linear equation and show how you would graph your equation
Answer by Fruglemiester1234(13)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Linear equations are easy once you know what you're doing. First of all an example of what one looks like:
....2x+1=y
This is linear because the X is not squared and when graphed it makes a straight line, hence the name  ar.
If I use the same equation from above I can show you how to graph.
....First of all there are many ways to graph. Some people like to use the transformation method, using parent functions and all that...but don't worry if that sounds like gibberish to you, cause there are plenty of other ways. One of the first ways you'll learn is pluggin in numbers in an x/y table. I'll show you this way first, but afterwards I'll show you something much faster, and in my oppinion easier.
........okay let's throw in a 0 for x, just because its easiest. We get:
2(0)+1 = y....any # times a 0 is 0 so we get:
y=1...our points(x,y) are(0,1)
.......In order to graph this line we need at least two points, so lets find our last one. Lets throw in a 0 for y, again becuase its easier(we can plug in any number if we wanted). We get:
...2x+1=0... subtract 1 from both sides...
...2x=-1...divide both sides by 2...
...x=-.5 ---our points are (-.5, 0)
Now all we have to do is draw a line going through both points.
............The second way to graph a line is using slope intercept form (y=mx+b)Luckily for us our equation is already in this form (y = 2x + 1)
Its as easy as this:
The B(1 in our equation) = the y intercept ( this is just some fancy term meaning where our graph crosses the y - axis, the one that goes up and down)Go 1 up on the y-axis and this is our first point
The M(2 in our equation) = slope "rise over run" Start at our first point( the B) and go up over one, make a new point.
Run a line through our two points and we've got our line.
Both ways gets you the same place with the same line and the same correct answer. You can choose which way to do it
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