Question

What do the X and Y intercepts mean in a word problem?

Answer 1

What is the context of your word problem? (example is it distance and time?)

Answer 2

I don't have a specific word problem, as I was thinking more in general. Any linear equation word problem would be fine as an example.

Answer 3

Well think of this way, if you picture a y axis and a x axis according to a word problem. Usually time would correspond with the x (seconds, days, etc.) and distance would correspond with the y axis (miles, km, ft, etc.)

Then if you want to find the x-intercept, that's when y=0 or when distance is zero. If you want to find the y-intercept its when x=0 or the instance when an object starts to move (t= 1 second).

Answer 4

It just means like when you have an equation and you graph it, the x-intercept and y-intercept is where the line intersects the x-axis and the y-axis.