Section 2-5
Slope-Intercept Form of a Linear Equation
A linear equation in the form
y = mx + b,
where x and y are the
variables and m and b are
constants, is said to be in slope-intercept form.
Equations in this form are easy to graph, since the slope of
line is m, and the y-intercept of
the line (the point where it crosses the y-axis) is b.
Example:
Graph y = –2x + 3.
Since the equation is given in slope-intercept form, we know immediately
that the line crosses the y-axis at (0, 3) and has slope –2.
We can quickly use the slope to find a second point (1, 1), and graph the line.
