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Finding the Intercepts of a Linear Equation

The intercepts of a linear equation can be determined algebraically by exploiting the fact that one coordinate is always zero at each intercept.

  • Finding the xx-intercept: Substitute y=0y = 0 into the equation and solve the resulting equation for xx. The solution gives the ordered pair (a,0)(a, 0).
  • Finding the yy-intercept: Substitute x=0x = 0 into the equation and solve for yy. The solution gives the ordered pair (0,b)(0, b).

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Updated 2026-05-18

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