What is the x intercept of #2x+3y=12#?

2 Answers
Feb 5, 2015

The x intercept is 6

#2x+3y=12#

At the #x# intercept #y=0#

So

#2x+0=12#

#x=12/2=6#

Feb 5, 2015

This is the equation of a line, and thus there are of course infinite points which satisfy the equation, as a line has infinite point.

Fixing a #x# value, or a #y# value, means to fix a vertical, or a horizontal line, which will have only one intersection with your line.

This means that, if a line has obviously infinite point, it has anyway only one intersecating every vertical/horizontal line.

In our case, the #x# intercept is the intersection of your line with the #x# axis, which is nothing but a particular horizontal line, with #y# fixed to 0.

To find out the #x# intercept you have to plug #y=0# in the equation of the line, and find the only #x# that solves the equation.

In your case, we have #2x+3\cdot 0=12#, which means #2x=12#, which yelds #x=6#.

We have just proven that the point #(6,0)# belongs to the line, and since this is a point of the #x# axis, it is the line's #x# intercept.