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Making Connections Glossary
x-axis  
  The horizontal number line on a coordinate grid.  (See axis.)
x-coordinate  
  In an ordered pair, (p, q) , that represents a point in the coordinate plane,  p  is the value of the x-coordinate of the point.  That is, the horizontal distance from the origin that is needed to plot the point.
x-intercept  
  The point(s) where a graph intersects the x-axis.  A graph may have several x‑intercepts, no x-intercepts, or just one.  It is sometimes reported that the x‑intercepts of a graph with coordinate pairs, but since the y-coordinate is always zero.  Often just the x‑coordinates of x‑intercepts are given.  (See y-intercept.)
y-axis  
  The vertical number line on a coordinate grid.  (See axis.)
y-coordinate  
  In an ordered pair, (p, q) , that represents a point in the coordinate plane,  q  is the value of the y‑coordinate of the point.  That is, the vertical distance from the origin that is needed to plot the point.
y-intercept  
  The point(s) where a graph intersects the y-axis.  A function has at most one y-intercept while a relation may have several.  The y‑intercept of a graph is important because the y-intercept often represents the starting value of a quantity in a real-world situation.  It is sometimes reported that the y-intercept of a graph with a coordinate pair, but since the x-coordinate is always zero, often just the y-coordinate of the y-intercept is given.  For example, it may be said that that the y‑intercept of the graph at right is (0, 2) , or it may also be said that the y-intercept is 2.  When a linear equation is written in y = mx + b  form,  b is the y-intercept of the graph.  For example, the equation of the graph below is y = x + 2  and its y‑intercept is 2.