The coordinate grid is composed of a horizontal x-axis and a vertical y-axis. The center of the grid, where the x-axis and y-axis meet, is called the origin.

Solving equations with an inequality (<, >) uses the same process as solving equations with an equal sign. Isolate the variable that you're solving for on one wide of the equation and put everything else on the other side. The only difference is that your answer will be expressed as an inequality (x > 5) and not as an equality (x = 5).

When solving quadratic equations, if the equation is not set equal to zero, first manipulate the equation so that it is set equal to zero: ax² + bx + c = 0. Then, factor the quadratic and, because it's set to zero, you know that one of the factors must equal zero for the equation to equal zero. Finding the value that will make each factor, i.e. (x + ?), equal to zero will give you the possible value(s) of x.

A line on the coordinate grid can be defined by a slope-intercept equation: y = mx + b. For a given value of x, the value of y can be determined given the slope (m) and y-intercept (b) of the line. The slope of a line is change in y over change in x, \({\Delta y \over \Delta x}\), and the y-intercept is the y-coordinate where the line crosses the vertical y-axis.

When solving an equation with two variables, replace the variables with the values given and then solve the now variable-free equation. (Remember order of operations, PEMDAS, Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction.)