Pedagoguery Software Inc. GrafEq PSi logo frieze
   Home    [Products\GrafEq]    Downloads    Prices & Purchasing

Slope-Intercept Form

  1. Launch GrafEq by double clicking its icon. Click on the title screen to remove it.
  2. Type in the equation y=Mx+B.
  3. Press the Tab key, and assign a value to M by typing “M=1”.
  4. Press the Tab key again, and assign a value to B by typing “B=0”. The input window is now complete.
  5. Press the Return key to get the Create View window.
    The default mode (Cartesian) is correct, and the default bounds (-10 to 10) are fine for both x-axis and y-axis.
  6. Click on the Create button. GrafEq will plot the graph of y=1*x+0.
  7. The side-bar is currently showing general information. To display ticked axes:
    • click on the General button and drag the highlight bar to Ticks;
    • under the Simple submenu, click on the box with dense ticks and crosses;
    • click the Active checkbox to display the ticks and crosses.
  8. Now, copy the graph onto the coordinate system graph paper. Label it “y=1*x+0”. Make a dot where the line crosses the y-axis and label it “0”. This point is called the y-intercept and its y-value is 0.
  9. Next, change the value of B from 0 to -3:
    • click on the Ticks button and drag the highlight bar to General;
    • click on the Relation #1 button to display the relation entered;
    • click on the B=0 constraint, and change 0 to -3.
  10. Repeat the necessary steps, as described above, to plot y=1*x+(-3). Label the new line on your graph paper as “y=x-3”. Q: What is the y-intercept of this line? Label the point where the line crosses the y-axis as “-3”.
  11. Repeat the necessary steps for B=5. Q: What is the y-intercept of this line? Q: How should you label the y-intercept accordingly?
  12. Q: Where will the line with equation y=x+7 cross the y-axis? Confirm your answer with GrafEq, by graphing y=x+7 (by setting B=7).
  13. Q: Where do you think the graph of y=2x+5 will cross the y-axis? Confirm your answer with GrafEq, setting M=2 and B=5.
  14. Now, in relation #1, set M=-4 and B=5.
  15. Under the Graph menu, choose New Relation to get the Graph #1 Relation #2 input window.
  16. Enter the equation y=0.2x+5. Press the Return key to see both Relation #2 and Relation #1 on Graph #1.
  17. Repeat the necessary steps for the equation y=3x+5.
  18. Q: What do the three lines have in common? Why?

Conclusion:

The graph of y=Mx+B is a line with y-intercept = _____________.