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Isolating a variable in an equation means rearranging the equation so that the variable you want to solve for is on one side by itself. In our specific example, we start with the equation

Remove the -2 from the left side by adding 2 to both sides:

Now, we have the equation in the more familiar form where y is isolated on one side.

When we isolate y in the equation

The result, , tells us that y is equal to 2 for every value of x. This is a horizontal line on the graph. A horizontal line has the same y-coordinate for all values of x, meaning it doesn't rise or fall as it extends across the graph.

To visualize:

• Choose a point on the y-axis at y=2.
• Every point on this line will have y=2; the x-coordinate can be any number.

So, the graph will be a flat, horizontal line at y=2.

Plotting points helps to visualize and draw the graph of an equation. For a horizontal line like y=2, plotting points is straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start with the given y-value (in our case, y=2).

2. Choose any values for x (since x can be any number).

Let's pick three different x values for our example. We'll use -2, 0, and 2. For each x-value, the y-value is always 2:

• (-2, 2)
• (0, 2)
• (2, 2)

Place these points on the graph and you’ll see they all line up horizontally at y=2. Draw a straight line through these points and extend it across the graph. This gives you the graph of the equation y=2, a perfect horizontal line.

Plotting multiple points helps confirm the shape and position of the line or curve you are graphing.