Fundamentals of Math

Fundamentals of Mathematics

Chapter 4: Intermediate Algebra Up until now, we've looked at types of numbers, numbers on a number line, and solving for unknown quantities. But what if we could solve for unknown values using a visual cue rather than traditional Algebra? Graphing makes this possible. Graphs provide a way of showing, interpreting, and evaluating data in a visual format. In other words, a graph is a picture of numbers that tells a story!

There are many kinds of graphs (more on that in chapter 6), but for now, we will focus on graphs plotted on a coordinate plane.

Figure 1: Horizontal Number Line

Figure 2: Vertical Number Line

Figure 3: Figure 2 overlaid on Figure 1 (a coordinate plane)

Working on a number line, we only could move forward or backward. However, by intersecting two number lines, we gain the ability to turn in any direction - up, down, left, or right. We can now freely move around the plane. 4.1 Introduction to Graphs A plane is a flat surface that is infinitely large and with zero thickness. A coordinate plane (or Cartesian plane ) is formed by the intersection of a horizontal line, known as the -axis , and a vertical line known as the -axis . These lines are perpendicular (cross at an 90° angle) and intersect each other at zero. This point of intersection at 0 is known as the origin . The axes also divide the plane into four equal sections known as quadrants.

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