# I have a question about an inequality

#### gotpeace

##### New member
How do I find what the y intercept and the slope is of y=-2/3x-12?

#### mmm4444bot

##### Super Moderator
Staff member

You typed an equation, not an inequality.

(Equations contain an equal sign; inequalities contain an inequality symbol.)

y = -(2/3)x - 12

This is the equation of a line.

There are many different forms in which we could write the equation for this particular line, but you typed it in what we call "slope-intercept" form.

Slope-intercept form is when the equation for a line is solved for y (i.e., the variable y is all by itself on one side of the equal sign, and everything else is on the other side).

Here is the generic slope-intercept form, using the symbol m to represent the line's slope and the symbol b to represent the line's y-intercept:

y = mx + b

We call this form "slope-intercept" because it shows both the slope (the value m) and the y-intercept (the value b).

If you inspect and compare the following two equations, then can you tell for the second equation which number is m and which number is b?

y = mx + b

y = -(2/3)x - 12

If you can, then you've answered this exercise.

#### Subhotosh Khan

##### Super Moderator
Staff member
Inequalities must have inequality signs (< or >). In addition, it may also have equality (=) sign.

For example:

$$\displaystyle y \, > \, mx \, + \, b................it \, has \, only \, inequality \, > \, sign$$

and

$$\displaystyle y \, \ge \, mx \, + \, b................it \, has \, both\, inequality \, (>) \, and \, equal \, (=) \, signs$$