Zero | Wiskunde op Tilburg University

Introduction: A point of intersection of the graph of a function

$y(x)$ with the

$x$ -axis can be determined by calculating a zero of the function

$y(x)$ .

Defintion: A zero of a function

$y(x)$ is a solution of the equation

$y(x)=0$ .

Remark: A zero

$a$ of the function

$y(x)$ gives the point of intersection

$(a,0)$ of the corresponding graph and the

$x$ -axis.

Example: We determine the zero of the function

$N(t)=2t+3$ .

$\begin{align} 2t+3 = 0 & \Leftrightarrow 2t=-3\\ & \Leftrightarrow t=-\frac{3}{2} \end{align}$

The zero

$-\frac{3}{2}$ result in the point of intersection

$(-\frac{3}{2},0)$ of the corresponding graph with the

$x$ -axis.