Example

Finding the Intercepts of 4x3y=124x - 3y = 12

To determine the intercepts of the equation 4x3y=124x - 3y = 12, substitute zero for each variable in turn and solve for the other.

Finding the x-intercept: Set y=0y = 0 and solve for xx:

4x3(0)=124x - 3(0) = 12

4x0=124x - 0 = 12

4x=124x = 12

x=3x = 3

The x-intercept is the point (3,0)(3, 0).

Finding the y-intercept: Set x=0x = 0 and solve for yy:

4(0)3y=124(0) - 3y = 12

03y=120 - 3y = 12

3y=12-3y = 12

y=4y = -4

The y-intercept is the point (0,4)(0, -4).

The two intercepts of the line are (3,0)(3, 0) and (0,4)(0, -4). Unlike equations where one variable has a coefficient of 11, here both intercept calculations require a division step — dividing by 44 to find the x-intercept and dividing by 3-3 to find the y-intercept. Dividing by the negative coefficient 3-3 produces the negative y-intercept value 4-4.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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