GRAPHING​ ​INEQUALITIES:​ ​WHICH​ ​SIDE​ ​TO​ ​GRAPH

POSITIVE​ ​SLOPE
Inequalities​ ​in​ ​the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​y=mx+b,​ ​with​ ​a​ ​positive​ ​slope,​ ​can​ ​be​ ​shaded​ ​in​ ​the​ ​direction
of​ ​the​ ​sign.​ ​ ​ ​Think,​ ​“the​ ​alligator​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​eat​ ​on​ ​this​ ​side,​ ​so​ ​I​ ​shade​ ​this​ ​side.”

If​ ​the​ ​sign​ ​is​ ​greater​ ​or​ ​less​ ​than​ ​but​ ​not​ ​equal​ ​to​​ ​then,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​dashed​ ​line.
NEGATIVE​ ​SLOPE
Inequalities​ ​in​ ​the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​y=mx+b,​ ​with​ ​a​ ​negative​​ ​slope,​ ​can​ ​be​ ​shaded​ ​in​ ​the​ ​direction
opposite​ ​of​ ​the​ ​sign.​ ​ ​ ​Think,​ ​“the​ ​alligator​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​eat​ ​on​ ​this​ ​side,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​x​ ​has​ ​a​ ​knife
so​ ​he​ ​goes​ ​the​ ​other​ ​way.​ ​ ​When​ ​the​ ​alligator​ ​is​ ​poked​ ​with​ ​the​ ​knife,​ ​he​ ​turns​ ​around​ ​to
bite​ ​the​ ​x.”

The​ ​same​ ​goes​ ​with​ ​less​ ​than​ ​or​ ​equal​ ​to​ ​and​ ​dashed​ ​lines.​ ​ ​It’s​ ​the​ ​same​ ​rules!

SPECIAL​ ​CASES:​ ​NUMBERS​ ​ON​ ​THE​ ​X​ ​AND​ ​Y​ ​AXIS