[angie160]

OK the problem is:

2x-3y=24

they want me to find the x and the y intercept.
I forget how to do this kind of problem.
please help me by explaining the steps, if someone can just remind me I'm pretty sure I'll remember how to do it.

[Khianu]

x and y intercepts are the points at which a graph crosses the axis, i.e. the x intercept is where the line crosses the x axis. Now the x axis is definitively where the y value is equal to zero. Likewise the y axis is the line where x=0 as you could see by looking at a basic set of axis. This means that to find the x intercept you simply set the y value to be 0, and thus get out an x value. This value is x co-ordinate of the graph when y=0 and the line crosses the x axis, and likewise for y. Sounds quite complicated so:

To find the x intercept:
1. substitute y for 0 in the equation
2. rearrange the equation to get x=...
3. this value (... ) is the x intercept, and the co-ordinates for the point where it crosses the axis is (.. 0)

likewise to find the y intercept:
1. substitute x for 0 in the equation
2. rearrange to get y=...
3. this value (... ) is the y intercept, and the co-ordinates for the point where it crosses the axis is (0,. )

Hope this has been clear enough but will try my best to explain differently if you still have trouble. Thanks.

Ben