Graph x-4y equals 8

Answer 1

First, rewrite the equation as a function of x:

x - 4y = 8
4y = x - 8
y = x/4 - 2

So you know that this will be a line with a slope of 1/4. Now, find any two points on that line. The easiest way to do that is ~usually~ to solve for the points where x = 0 and where y = 0:

y = 0/4 - 2
y = -2

So the point (0, -2) is on the line.

0 = x/4 - 2
x/4 = 2
x = 8

So the point (8, 0) is on the line.

You can now graph this line with the following steps:

1. grab a piece of graph paper
2. draw a y-axis vertically, and an x-axis horizontally, with enough room on the paper to draw those two points
3. enumerate those axis, with point 0, 0 at the center, with the y axis incrementing positively upward, and the x axis incrementing positively to the right
4. plot those two points, (0, -2) and (8, 0)
5. take a ruler and line it up with one of it's edges immediately beside both of those points
6. drag your pencil along that same edge of the ruler, through the full range of the graph.

And that's all there is to it!