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How to Find XY-Equations

When you have two variables, you can find the relationship between them using an XY equation. In an XY equation, the x variable is the independent variable and the y variable is the dependent variable. For example, if you wanted to measure a company's income per unit sold, the x variable would be the units sold and the y variable would be the profit. When figuring an XY equation, you need to find the slope and y-intercept.

Things You'll Need

  • Calculator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Calculate the slope of the equation by dividing the change in the y coordinates by the change in the x coordinates. For example, if you have a profit of $50 when you sell 10 units and $100 when you sell 15 units, find the difference between the x coordinates by subtracting 10 from 15 to get five. Find the difference between the y coordinates by subtracting $50 from $100 to get $50. Calculate the slope by dividing $50 by five to get a slope of 10.

    • 2

      Calculate the y-intercept by multiplying the slope by an x-coordinate and subtracting the result from the y-coordinate. In this example, multiply the slope of 10 by 15 to get 150, then subtract 150 from 100 to find the y-intercept equals -50.

    • 3

      Plug in the slope for m and the y-intercept for b to find the XY equation in y = mx + b. In this example, plug in 10 for the slope and -50 for the y-intercept to find the equation equals y = 10x - 50.

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