Q. Find the x-intercept of the line \(5x + 11y = -2\).
Answer
Set \(y=0\). Then \(5x+11(0)=-2\), so \(5x=-2\) and \(x=-\tfrac{2}{5}\). The x-intercept is \(\left(-\tfrac{2}{5},\,0\right)\).
Detailed Explanation
Find the x-intercept of the line
Given the equation \(5x + 11y = -2\).
- Recall the definition of an x-intercept.The x-intercept is the point where the graph crosses the x-axis. At any point on the x-axis the y-coordinate is 0. Therefore to find the x-intercept we set \(y = 0\) in the equation and solve for \(x\).
- Substitute \(y = 0\) into the equation.Replace \(y\) with \(0\) in \(5x + 11y = -2\). This gives
\(5x + 11\cdot 0 = -2\).
- Simplify the equation after substitution.Since \(11\cdot 0 = 0\), the equation becomes
\(5x = -2\).
- Solve for \(x\).Divide both sides of \(5x = -2\) by \(5\) to isolate \(x\):
\(x = -\tfrac{2}{5}\).
As a decimal, \(x = -0.4\).
- Write the x-intercept as a point.The x-intercept is the point with coordinates \(\left(-\tfrac{2}{5},\,0\right)\).
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Algebra FAQs
What is the x-intercept of the line \(5x+11y=-2\)?.
Set \(y=0\). Then \(5x=-2\), so \(x=-\tfrac{2}{5}\). The x-intercept is \((-\tfrac{2}{5},0)\)..
Why do we set \(y=0\) to find the x-intercept?.
The x-intercept is the point where the graph crosses the x-axis, and every point on the x-axis has \(y=0\). Substitute \(y=0\) and solve for \(x\).
How do I find the y-intercept of \(5x+11y=-2\)?
Set \(x=0\). Then \(11y=-2\), so \(y=-\tfrac{2}{11}\). The y-intercept is \((0,-\tfrac{2}{11})\).
How do I get the slope from \(5x+11y=-2\)?.
Solve for \(y\): \(11y=-5x-2\) so \(y=-\tfrac{5}{11}x-\tfrac{2}{11}\). The slope is \(-\tfrac{5}{11}\).
How can I graph this line using intercepts?
Plot the x-intercept \(\left(- \tfrac{2}{5},0\right)\) and the y-intercept \(\left(0,-\tfrac{2}{11}\right)\), then draw the straight line through those two points..
What is the intercept form and how does this line fit it?
What is the intercept form and how does this line fit it?
How do I check my x-intercept is correct?
Substitute \( (- \tfrac{2}{5},0) \) into \( 5x+11y \): \( 5(-\tfrac{2}{5})+11(0)=-2 \). The equation holds, so the intercept is correct.
What does a negative \(x\)-intercept mean geometrically?
Negative x-intercept means the line crosses the x-axis to the left of the origin; here it crosses at \(x=-\tfrac{2}{5}\), so left of \(0\).
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