Skip to content

Physics Playground

Simulations How we teach Pricing

Language

Log in Start learning free

Loading…

Physics Playground

Built on open, peer-reviewed sources: OpenStax, The Feynman Lectures on Physics, HyperPhysics, NASA and NIST. See our sources.

Learn

Physics course
Math for Physics
Start with the math toolkit
Simulations
Glossary
Exercises
Past exams
Library
How we teach

Company

Pricing
Terms
Privacy
Contact

© 2026 Physics Playground. Made for the curious.Language

Exercises Graphs and straight lines

Example 11.29 from Prealgebra, 11.3 Graphing with Intercepts

Graphing with Intercepts: example 11.29

Identify the most convenient method to graph each line:

ⓐ $y = −3$
ⓑ $4 x −6 y = 12$
ⓒ $x = 2$
ⓓ $y = \frac{2}{5} x −1$

Work it out on paper first. Then open the solution one step at a time, and stop as soon as you can finish on your own.

Solution
ⓐ $x -axis$
This equation has only one variable, $y .$ Its graph is a horizontal line crossing the $y = \frac{2}{5} x −1$ at $−3 .$

ⓑ $4 x −6 y = 12$
This equation is of the form $A x + B y = C .$ Find the intercepts and one more point.

ⓒ $x = 2$
There is only one variable, $x .$ The graph is a vertical line crossing the $x -axis$ at $2 .$

ⓓ $y = \frac{2}{5} x −1$
Since $y$ is isolated on the left side of the equation, it will be easiest to graph this line by plotting three points.

Your turn

The book's Try It right after this example: same idea, new numbers. Only the answer is given.

Identify the most convenient method to graph each line:

ⓐ $3 x + 2 y = 12$
ⓑ $y = 4$
ⓒ $y = \frac{1}{5} x −4$
ⓓ $x = −7$

How did it go?

PreviousGraphing with Intercepts: example 11.28 Next Understand Slope of a Line: example 11.30

From Prealgebra (1st edition) by OpenStax (Rice University), section 11.3, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Original at openstax.org. We split the solution into steps; the words, numbers and figures are the book's. OpenStax doesn't endorse this site.