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Lesson 5 of 11

Every pair is a point

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9 min

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Plot y = 3x + 2 on a grid. Where does each pair of input and output go?

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A grid. Inputs go across. Outputs go up.
Step 1 of 3
  1. A grid. Inputs go across. Outputs go up.
  2. Plot (0, 2), (1, 5), (2, 8) and (3, 11).
  3. One straight line passes through all four.

The rule

Each pair is one point: x across, then y up.

An input x and its output y make a pair (x, y). The input comes first.

Take y = 3x + 2.

One rule, four inputs, and the pair each one makes
Input xWorkingOutput yPair
03 × 0 + 22(0, 2)
13 × 1 + 25(1, 5)
23 × 2 + 28(2, 8)
33 × 3 + 211(3, 11)

The four points lie on one straight line. The graph of a rule of degree 1 is a straight line.

If a point is on the line, its pair fits the rule. Test (7, 23): 3 × 7 + 2 = 21 + 2 = 23. The pair fits.

y = x² is different. Its pairs are (0, 0), (1, 1), (2, 4), (3, 9). The gaps between outputs are 1, 3, 5. They are not equal. So these points do not lie on one line.

Try the lab to finish this lesson.