Question

How do you use linear graphs to problem solve?

Answer 1

If you have a linear graph you can find corresponding values from one axis (or scale) to another.

This is most easily seen by an example:

Here we have the linear graph showing the relationship between temperatures measured in Fahrenheit and in Celsius.

If you wanted to know what `50^o`C was in the Fahrenheit scale, you would follow a vertical line up from the `50` on the Celsius axis, to the linear graph line, then move horizontally across to the Fahrenheit axis to get a reading of (approximately) a lit more than `120^o` F. (See the light blue lines for this procedure).

If your problem was to convert a temperature in Fahrenheit to Celsius you would simply reverse the process ( horizontal across to the linear graph line from the Fahrenheit temperature and then horizontally down to the Celsius equivalent.

The accuracy of your result will of course depend upon how accurate your graph has been drawn.