SOLUTION: explain the basic method for graphing a linear equation. Please gie me an exmple and show how it would be graphed.

Algebra ->  Graphs -> SOLUTION: explain the basic method for graphing a linear equation. Please gie me an exmple and show how it would be graphed.      Log On


   

Question 161506: explain the basic method for graphing a linear equation. Please gie me an exmple and show how it would be graphed.
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let's say that you have the equation y=%281%2F2%29x%2B3 and you want to graph it.




Looking at y=%281%2F2%29x%2B3 we can see that the equation is in slope-intercept form y=mx%2Bb where the slope is m=1%2F2 and the y-intercept is b=3


Since b=3 this tells us that the y-intercept is .Remember the y-intercept is the point where the graph intersects with the y-axis

So we have one point




Now since the slope is comprised of the "rise" over the "run" this means
slope=rise%2Frun

Also, because the slope is 1%2F2, this means:

rise%2Frun=1%2F2


which shows us that the rise is 1 and the run is 2. This means that to go from point to point, we can go up 1 and over 2



So starting at , go up 1 unit


and to the right 2 units to get to the next point



Now draw a line through these points to graph y=%281%2F2%29x%2B3

So this is the graph of y=%281%2F2%29x%2B3 through the points and