6.

7 Graphing Linear Relations

Focus Construct a graph from the
equation of a linear relation and
describe the graph.

Look at the coordinate grid. y

4
Point A has coordinates (4, 2). B
3
What are the coordinates of Point B? Point C? Point D? A
2
1
D x
–4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
–1
C
–2
–3
–4

Investigate

Work with a partner.

Benny is designing banners for a school event.

On a banner, the school motto is 50 cm long
and the school logo is 20 cm long.

In each design, the banner has the school logo at each end, and the school
motto in the middle. The motto can be repeated any number of times.

An equation that relates the length of the banner to the number of mottos is
! ! 40 " 50n, where ! is the length of the banner in centimetres with n mottos.
➤ Explain each term in the equation of the relation.
What does each term represent?
➤ Use the equation to make a table of values for the relation.
➤ Graph the relation.
➤ What can you find out from the table of values? From the graph?

Compare your table of values and graph with those of

Reflect
Share & another pair of classmates.
Should you draw a line through the points? Justify your decision.
Is the relation linear? How can you tell?

6.7 Graphing Linear Relations 359

 Connect

Sylvia works at a garden nursery. She is paid $6 for every tray of tomatoes
she plants. Let n represent the number of trays Sylvia plants. Let p represent
her pay in dollars. An equation that relates Sylvia’s pay to the number of
trays she plants is: p ! 6n

Substitute values for n to find corresponding values of p.

When n ! 0, p ! 6(0)
!0
When n ! 1, p ! 6(1)
!6

Here is a table of values.

n p
0 0 Graph of p = 6n
"1 "6
1 6 18
p
"1 "6
2 12 16
"1 "6
3 18 14
12

To graph the relation, plot n along 10

6
the horizontal axis and p along 8
6
the vertical axis. 1
4
Label the axes and write
2
the equation of the relation n
0 1 2 3
on the graph.
The points lie on a straight line, so the
relation is linear.
Since Sylvia only gets paid for whole numbers of trays planted, we do not
join the points. For example, Sylvia is not paid for 1.5 trays planted.
These data are discrete. When data are discrete, there are numbers
between those given that are not meaningful in the context of the problem.

The graph shows that for every tray Sylvia plants, her pay increases by $6.
As the number of trays increases, so does her pay.

360 UNIT 6: Linear Equations and Graphing

 Example 1
A Grade 8 class is going on a field trip. The bus seats 24 students.
An equation that relates the number of boys on the bus to the number
of girls is b ! 24 # g, where g represents the number of girls and
b represents the number of boys.
a) Create a table of values for the relation.
b) Graph the relation.
c) Describe the relationship between the variables in the graph.
▲

A Solution
a) Substitute values for g to find corresponding values of b.
When g ! 0, b ! 24 – 0 When g ! 1, b ! 24 – 1
! 24 ! 23
A table of values is:
g b
0 24
"1 #1
1 23
"1 #1
2 22
"1 #1
3 21
"1 #1
4 20
... ...
24 0

b) Graph of b = 24 – g
c) The variables represent
b
24 the number of boys and
22 the number of girls.
20 As the number of girls
18 increases by 1, the
16 number of boys
14
decreases by 1.
12
The graph begins and
10
ends at 24 on each axis. It
8
6
is not possible to have
4 more than either 24 boys
2 or 24 girls on the bus.
g
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

6.7 Graphing Linear Relations 361

 Example 2
The equation of a linear relation is: y ! #4x " 1
a) Create a table of values for the relation for integer values of x from #4 to 4.
b) Graph the relation.
c) Describe the relationship between the variables in the graph.

A Solution
▲

a) When x ! #4, When x ! #3, When x ! #2,

y ! #4x " 1 y ! #4x " 1 y ! #4x " 1
! #4(#4) " 1 ! #4(#3) " 1 ! #4(#2) " 1
! 16 " 1 ! 12 " 1 !8"1
! 17 ! 13 !9

A table of values is:

x y
–4 17
"1 #4
–3 13
"1 #4
–2 9
"1 #4
–1 5
"1 #4
0 1
"1 #4
1 –3
"1 #4
2 –7 #4
"1
3 –11 #4
"1
4 –15
b) Graph of y = –4x + 1

y
18 c) The variables are x and y.
15 When x increases by 1, y
12 decreases by 4.
9 The points lie on a line that
6
goes down to the right.
3
x
–4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
–3
–6
–9
–12
–15
–18

362 UNIT 6: Linear Equations and Graphing

Discuss 1. In Example 1, is it possible to have negative values for b and g?
the
ideas Justify your answer.
2. In Example 1, the relation is linear and the points lie on a line.
Why did we not draw a line through the points?
3. In Example 1, the equation for the relation could have been
written as g ! 24 # b.
How would the table of values change?
How would the graph change?

Practice

Check 6. Graph each relation for integer values of

You will need grid paper. x from 0 to 5.
a) y ! 2x " 1 b) y ! 2x # 1
4. Each graph below is a graph of a linear c) y ! –2x " 1 d) y ! –2x # 1
relation. Describe the relationship e) y ! 3x " 1 f) y ! 3x #1
between the variables in each graph. g) y ! –3x " 1 h) y ! –3x # 1
a) y ! 4x – 1 b) y ! –3x + 9
Apply
Graph of y = 4x – 1 Graph of y = –3x + 9
7. Here is a graph of the linear relation
y y
20 9 y = 8x " 3.
18 6 Graph of y = 8x + 3
16 3 y
x 45
14 (5, )
0 1 2 3 4 5
12 40
–3
10 35 (4, 35)
–6
8 30
–9
( , 27)
6 25

4 20 (2, )
2 15
x 10 (1, 11)
0 1 2 3 4 5
–2 5
(0, 3) x
0 1 2 3 4 5

5. Graph each relation for integer values

of x from 0 to 5. Each point on the graph is labelled with
a) y ! 2x b) y ! 3x an ordered pair.
c) y ! 4x d) y ! 5x Some numbers in the ordered pairs are
e) y ! –2x f) y ! –3x missing. Find the missing numbers.
g) y ! –4x h) y ! –5x Explain how you did this.

6.7 Graphing Linear Relations 363

 8. Here is a graph of the linear relation 10. Use the data from Lesson 6.6 Practice
y ! –6x – 5. question 12, page 357.
An equation for the linear relation is:
Graph of y = –6x – 5
m ! 100 – 2n,
y
16 where n is the number of months that
(–3, ) 12
Herbie trains and m is his mass at any
8
( , 7) time in kilograms.
4
(–1, 1) x Here is a table of values.
–3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3
–4 (0, –5)
n 0 2 4 6 8 10
–8
(1, –11) m 100 96 92 88 84 80
–12
–16 (2, )
–20 a) Construct a graph for the data.
–24 ( , –23) b) Describe the relationship between
the variables in the graph.
Each point on the graph is labelled with c) Find the ordered pair on the graph
an ordered pair. that indicates Herbie’s mass after
Some numbers in the ordered pairs are 7 months. Explain how you did this.
missing. Find the missing numbers.
Explain how you did this. 11. Assessment Focus Regina plans a
marshmallow roast. She will buy
9. Use the data from Example 1, page 361. 8 marshmallows for each person who
An equation for the linear relation is: attends, and 12 extra marshmallows in
c ! 11 " 2n, case someone shows up unexpectedly.
where n is the number of toppings on Let n represent the number of people
the pizza, and c is the total cost of the who attend. Let m represent the number
pizza in dollars. Here is a table of values. of marshmallows Regina must buy. An
equation that relates the number of
n 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 marshmallows to the number of people
c 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 is: m ! 8n " 12
a) Create a table of values for the
a) Construct a graph for the data. relation.
b) Describe the relationship between b) Graph the relation.
the variables in the graph. c) Describe the relationship between
c) Find the ordered pair on the graph the variables in the graph.
that shows the cost of a pizza d) Is the relation linear?
with 6 toppings. How do you know?

364 UNIT 6: Linear Equations and Graphing

12. Graph each relation for integer values of 14. Take It Further A computer repair
x from #4 to 4. company charges $60 to make a house
a) y ! 8x " 2 b) y ! #8x # 2 call, plus an additional $40 for each hour
c) y ! #7x " 4 d) y ! 5x # 4 spent repairing the computer. An
equation that relates the total cost to the
13. Peter’s Promoting is organizing a time in hours for a house call is
concert. The cost of the venue and the C = 60 + 40n, where n represents the
rock band is $15 000. Each concert ticket time in hours, and C represents the total
sells for $300. Peter’s profit is the money cost of the house call in dollars.
he makes from selling tickets minus the a) Graph the relation.
cost. Let n represent the number of b) Describe the relationship between
tickets sold. Let p represent Peter’s profit. the variables in the graph.
An equation that relates the profit to the c) Does the point (–1, 20) lie
number of tickets sold is: on the graph? What does this
p ! 300n # 15 000 point represent? Does this point
a) Create a table of values for the make sense in the context of the
relation. Use these values of n: problem? Explain.
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80
15. Take It Further
b) Graph the relation. What do negative
a) Graph each relation.
values of p represent?
Describe the relationship between
c) Describe the relationship between the
the variables in the graph.
variables in the graph.
i) y ! #9x " 4 ii) y ! 6x # 3
d) How can you use the graph to find
iii) y ! #7x # 2 iv) y ! 4x " 11
the profit when 75 tickets are sold?
v) y ! 7x " 5 vi) y ! 3x # 8
vii) y ! #9x # 6 viii) y ! #8x " 7
b) Which graphs go up to the right?
Which graphs go down to the right?
c) How can you use the equation of a
linear relation to tell if its graph
goes up to the right or down to
the right?

Reflect
You now know these ways to represent a relation:
• table of values • equation • graph
Which way do you think tells you the most about the relation?

6.7 Graphing Linear Relations 365