this week in math we learned about x and y intercepts. an x intercept is when a point on a graph has a value of 0 for x, the intercept for y is when a point on a graph has a value of 0 for y.

but you can use a trick to find out what the other value is going to be on the graph. take y = 12 – 3x for example. in order to find out the value of x on the y intercept you make the y a 0 so you have 0 = 12 – 3x. now you have to balance the 2 sides by subtracting 12 to cancel the 12 on the side with the x but what you do to one side you have do to the other so the equation will look like -12 = -3x. now you can divide the x by -3 to get the x by it’s self but that means you also have to divide the -12 by -3. after you do that the equation is 4 = x the x will equal 4 when y equals 0.