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A linear function goes through the points (-3,1) and (1,-3). What are the coordinates for the y-intercept of this function?

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Hi

Expert-Verified Answer

Answer:

The y-intercept of a linear function is the point where the line intersects the y-axis, that is, when x = 0. To find the y-intercept, we can plug in x = 0 into the equation of the line and solve for y.

Since the line goes through two points (-3,1) and (1,-3), we can find the equation of the line using point-slope form:

y - y1 = m(x - x1)

where (x1, y1) is one of the points on the line, m is the slope of the line, and (x, y) are the coordinates of any point on the line.

To find the slope, we can use the two points:

m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)

Plugging in the values for the two points, we have:

m = (-3 - 1) / (1 - (-3)) = -4 / 4 = -1

Now that we have the slope, we can use point-slope form and one of the points to find the equation of the line:

y - 1 = -1(x - (-3))

Expanding the right-hand side and simplifying, we have:

y - 1 = -x + 2

Adding x to both sides and adding 1 to both sides, we have:

y = -x + 3

Plugging in x = 0, we have:

y = -0 + 3 = 3

Therefore, the y-intercept of the line is (0, 3).

User Adam Jacob Muller
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