Example

Determining the Most Convenient Method to Graph y=6y = -6, 5x3y=155x - 3y = 15, x=7x = 7, and y=25x1y = \frac{2}{5}x - 1

Apply the strategy for choosing the most convenient graphing method to four equations by examining the form of each one.

y=6y = -6: This equation contains only the variable yy, so its graph is a horizontal line crossing the y-axis at 6-6. No plotting or calculation is needed beyond drawing the line.

5x3y=155x - 3y = 15: Both xx and yy appear on the same side, and the equation is in the form Ax+By=CAx + By = C. The most efficient approach is to find the intercepts — set y=0y = 0 to get the x-intercept, set x=0x = 0 to get the y-intercept — then locate one additional point and draw the line.

x=7x = 7: Only the variable xx appears, so the graph is a vertical line crossing the x-axis at 77.

y=25x1y = \frac{2}{5}x - 1: Because this equation is already in slope-intercept form y=mx+by = mx + b, the easiest method is to identify the slope (25\frac{2}{5}) and the y-intercept ((0,1)(0, -1)) and use them to graph the line directly.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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