Find the x-intercept and y-intercept of a line from slope-intercept form, standard form or two points.
Intercepts are where the line crosses the axes. A horizontal line has no x-intercept and a vertical line has no y-intercept — both cases are reported honestly, not faked.
x-intercept
How to use this tool
Slope-intercept (y = mx + b), standard form (Ax + By = C), or two points on the line.
Only the fields for your chosen form are shown, so there is nothing extra to fill in.
The x-intercept is where the line crosses the x-axis (y = 0) and the y-intercept is where it crosses the y-axis (x = 0).
The full equation is shown so you can verify it against your textbook or homework before plotting.
Formula & worked example
For y = 2x + 3, the y-intercept is 3 and the x-intercept is −3/2 = −1.5, so the line crosses the axes at (−1.5, 0) and (0, 3). In standard form, 2x + 3y = 6 gives x = 6/2 = 3 and y = 6/3 = 2, so the axes crossings are (3, 0) and (0, 2).
Limitations — read this before you rely on it
This tool handles straight lines only, not curves. A horizontal line (slope 0) never crosses the x-axis unless it is the x-axis itself, and a vertical line never crosses the y-axis unless it is the y-axis itself; both are reported as 'none'. Identical points do not define a line.
Frequently asked questions
The intercept form is x/a + y/b = 1, where a is the x-intercept and b is the y-intercept. It is a compact way to write any line that crosses both axes.
Set y = 0 and solve for x. For y = 2x + 3, setting y = 0 gives 0 = 2x + 3, so x = −1.5.
Set x = 0 and solve for y. For y = 2x + 3, setting x = 0 gives y = 3, which is also the value of b in slope-intercept form.
A horizontal line with a non-zero y-intercept runs parallel to the x-axis and never meets it, so it has no x-intercept. A vertical line likewise has no y-intercept.
Yes: find the slope from the two points, then the equation, then set y = 0 and x = 0 in turn. The two-points mode above does all three steps for you.