How do you graph #y=1/4x-4# by plotting points?

Question

Savannah Anderson · Accepted Answer

You need only two points to plot your function, that represents a straight line.

This is a linear function that will give you, when plotted, a straight line.
First you can see that the slope of your line is positive #m=1/4# so your line is "going up" (from left to right).
Also, the line crosses the y-axis at #-4#.
So basically when #x=0# then #y=-4#. This is one of the points you need.
To plot a line you need only 2 points, so, the next could be chosen at #x=4# that gives you:
#x=4# then #y=1/4*4-4=1-4=-3#

So, you can now plot your line through points of coordinates:
#P_1#: #x=0, y=-4#
#P_2#: #x=4, y=-3#

Eva Adamson · Answer

undefined To graph the equation $ y = \frac{1}{4}x - 4 $ by plotting points, follow these steps:

1. Choose values for $ x $ to create ordered pairs.
2. Substitute each chosen $ x $ value into the equation to find the corresponding $ y $ value.
3. Plot each ordered pair on the coordinate plane.
4. Connect the plotted points with a straight line.

For example:

- When $ x = 0 $, $ y = -4 $. So, one point is (0, -4).
- When $ x = 4 $, $ y = -3 $. So, another point is (4, -3).
- When $ x = 8 $, $ y = -2 $. So, another point is (8, -2).

Plot these points and connect them to form the graph of the equation.