16Hit 1600
AlgebraVery hardEqual intercepts condition

Algebra practice question

In the xy-plane, the graph of cx + 4y = 12 has an x-intercept equal to its y-intercept. What is the value of c?

Answer: 4

The y-intercept is 12/4 = 3; the x-intercept is 12/c. Setting 12/c = 3 gives c = 4.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 1
Equal intercepts need not mean c = 1; compute the y-intercept (3) first.
If you answered 3
3 is the shared intercept value, not c.
If you answered 12
12 is the constant term; the condition 12/c = 3 gives c = 4.

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