Final answer:
For graphing linear equations not in slope-intercept form, rewrite the equation to find the slope and y-intercept, or use the intercepts method if rewriting is inconvenient.
Expressing equations graphically helps visualize their relationships, using the slope and y-intercept to indicate steepness and starting points on the graph.
Step-by-step explanation:
The method I prefer for graphing linear equations that are not in the slope-intercept form, y = mx + b, is to first rewrite the equation in slope-intercept form if possible.
This involves solving for y to find the slope (m) and the y-intercept (b). If the equation cannot be conveniently rewritten, use the intercepts method, which involves finding the points where the line crosses the x-axis and y-axis, by setting y and x to zero respectively.
Plotting these intercepts and drawing a line through them will give us the graph of the equation.
For example, if we start with an equation in standard form such as Ax + By = C, we can solve for y to get it into the slope-intercept form.
If the equation is more complex or already provided in a form that does not lend itself well to solving for y, the intercepts method is a straightforward alternative.