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X and Y Intercepts of a Line
> ... Math > Slopes, Intercepts, Equation of a Straight Line > X and Y Intercepts of a Line

Intercepts are an important part of graphs; they can tell us a lot about our data. For example, y-intercepts often tell us our starting amount. Here are some vocabulary words to help you with this lesson:

• X-intercept = where the graph crosses the x-axis, and where $$y = 0$$
• Y-intercept = where the graph crosses the y-axis, and where $$x = 0$$
X and Y Intercepts of a Line

### Practice Problems

Use the following graph to answer questions 1 through 6.
1. What is the y-intercept of line A? (
Solution
Solution:
Y-intercept: $$-4$$
)
2. What is the x-intercept of line B? (
Solution
Solution:
X-intercept: $$0$$
)
3. What is the y-intercept of line B? (
Solution
Solution:
Y-intercept: $$0$$
)
4. What are the x-intercept and y-intercept of line C? (
Solution
Solution:
X-intercept: $$1.5$$
Y-intercept: $$3$$
Details:

To find the x-intercept, we look for the point where the line crosses the x-axis. The line crosses the x-axis where the x-value is approximately $$1.5$$. The y-value is always $$0$$ for every point on the x-axis so the x-intercept is $$(1.5, 0)$$.

To find the y-intercept, we look for the point where the line crosses the y-axis. The line crosses the y-axis where the y-value is $$3$$. The x-value is always $$0$$ for every point on the y-axis so the y-intercept is $$(0, 3)$$.
)
5. What are the x-intercept and y-intercept of line D? (
Solution
Solution:
X-intercept: $$-3$$
Y-intercept: $$1$$
Details:

To find the x-intercept, we look for the point where the line crosses the x-axis. The line crosses the x-axis where the x-value is approximately $$-3$$. The y-value is always 0 for every point on the x-axis so the x-intercept is $$(-3,0)$$.

To find the y-intercept, we look for the point where the line crosses the y-axis. The line crosses the y-axis where the y-value is $$1$$. The x-value is always 0 for every point on the y-axis so the y-intercept is $$(0, 1)$$.
)
6. What are the x-intercept and y-intercept of line E? (
Solution
Solution:
X-intercept: $$-5$$
Y-intercept: $$-2$$
)

## Need More Help?

1. Study other Math Lessons in the Resource Center.
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