Graphing the Equation y = x – 4 | Understanding Slope-Intercept Form and Straight Lines in a Coordinate Plane

y = x – 4

The equation y = x – 4 represents a straight line in a coordinate plane

The equation y = x – 4 represents a straight line in a coordinate plane. Here, x and y are variables representing the coordinates of points on the line. The number 4 is subtracted from the x-coordinate to determine the corresponding y-coordinate.

This equation is in slope-intercept form, where y is equal to the slope multiplied by x plus the y-intercept. In this case, the slope is 1 (the coefficient of x), indicating that for every increase of 1 unit in the x-coordinate, the y-coordinate will increase by 1 unit. The y-intercept, -4, is the point where the line intersects the y-axis. This means that when x = 0, y will be -4.

To graph this equation, you can plot a few points and draw a straight line passing through them. One way to determine points on the line is by substituting different x-values into the equation and solving for y. For example:

When x = 0: y = 0 – 4 = -4
When x = 1: y = 1 – 4 = -3
When x = 2: y = 2 – 4 = -2

You can plot these points (0, -4), (1, -3), and (2, -2) on a coordinate plane and then draw a straight line passing through them.

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