Chapter 1: Problem 24
Determine the slope \(m\) and \(y\) intercept \(b\) of the line with the given equation. Then sketch the line. \(x-\frac{1}{2} y=2\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The slope is 2, and the y-intercept is -4.
Step by step solution
01
Rewrite the Equation in Slope-Intercept Form
The slope-intercept form of the equation of a line is given by \(y = mx + b\), where \(m\) is the slope and \(b\) is the y-intercept. To convert the given equation \(x - \frac{1}{2}y = 2\) into this form, solve for \(y\). First, isolate the \(\frac{1}{2}y\) term by subtracting \(x\) from both sides, resulting in \(-\frac{1}{2}y = -x + 2\).
02
Solve for y
Divide every term in the equation \(-\frac{1}{2}y = -x + 2\) by \(-\frac{1}{2}\) to solve for \(y\). This results in \(y = 2x - 4\). Now, the equation is in slope-intercept form, where the slope \(m = 2\) and the y-intercept \(b = -4\).
03
Identify the Slope and Y-intercept
From the equation \(y = 2x - 4\), the slope \(m\) is 2, which indicates the line rises 2 units vertically for every 1 unit it moves horizontally. The y-intercept \(b\) is -4, meaning the line crosses the y-axis at the point \((0, -4)\).
04
Sketch the Line
Begin by plotting the y-intercept \((0, -4)\) on the coordinate plane. Since the slope \(m = 2\) means \(rise = 2\) and \(run = 1\), from \((0, -4)\), move up 2 units and 1 unit to the right to find another point on the line \((1, -2)\). Draw a straight line through these points to represent the line.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Equation of a Line
The equation of a line is essentially a mathematical statement that tells us how points on a plane are connected. The most commonly used form is the slope-intercept form, which looks like this: \[y = mx + b\]Here:
- \(y\) is the value of the dependent variable for any given \(x\).
- \(m\) represents the slope, which we will discuss in detail later.
- \(x\) is the independent variable.
- \(b\) is the y-intercept, another core concept we'll explore.
Slope
Slope is a crucial component of the equation of a line. It tells us how steep a line is. In the slope-intercept form \(y = mx + b\), \(m\) represents the slope. The slope is calculated as the "rise over the run," or how much \(y\) increases for each increase in \(x\).Here's how you can visualize slope:
- If \(m = 2\), for example, it means for every unit you move to the right on the x-axis, you move up 2 units on the y-axis. This indicates a positive, upward slope.
- A negative slope would indicate that the line is going downwards as \(x\) increases. If \(m = -1\), for instance, it means with every step to the right, you move down 1 unit.
- A slope of 0 is a flat, horizontal line, meaning \(y\) doesn’t change as \(x\) changes.
Y-Intercept
The y-intercept of a line is where the line crosses the y-axis on a graph. In the slope-intercept form \(y = mx + b\), the y-intercept is represented by \(b\). This means it's simply the value of \(y\) when \(x\) is zero.Why is the y-intercept important?
- It provides a starting point for graphing. From this point, you can use the slope to find other points on the line.
- It shows where the line intersects the y-axis, helping to quickly sketch the line on a graph.
- When comparing two lines, knowing their y-intercepts helps you see how they are positioned relative to each other on a graph.