2007-07-21 09:10:46 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
4x-9, as it is, is an expression. All equations are expressions but not all expressions are equations. As its name suggest, an equation sets something equal to something else by an equal sign. If you don't have an equal sign, you don't have an equation.
If you had y=4x-9 then it would have been a linear equation. Something is linear if the highest power is. In other words, you are in the form y = Ax+B where A and B are constants.
2007-07-21 11:27:51 · answer #1 · answered by Vu 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends. y=4x-9 is a linear equation, and if x is equal to something, like 5, then that is an equation. It could be an expression too, for a problem. It must have an equal sign (=) to be an linear equation or just an equation. Since this does not have an =, then it must be an EXPRESSION.
2007-07-22 04:04:05 · answer #2 · answered by Jessica 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answers that say 4x-9 is an "expression" are correct.
An "expression" is a "phrase" in math, not a complete equation (like a subject or predicate phrase in English that is not a complete sentence when it is all by itself.)
An "equation" has an "=" sign saying one expression or value is equal to another. (This is like a "complete sentence" in English where you say one phrase/expression "IS EQUAL TO" another value or expression.)
Since 4x-9 has no "=" sign in it, it cannot be an "equation."
4x-9=0 would be an equation.
0 or 4x-9 by itself are just expressions.
Note: The other answers are right that explain a "linear equation" contains one or two variables (to the first power only), like x and y, and can be written in the form y = mx + b where b is a constant.
For a "linear" equation, there cannot be other variables except two, and neither can have a higher exponent.
If you have an equation with
x^2 or higher or
y^2 or higher, etc.
Then these become "quadratic equations" or higher degrees.
So these higher order equations are not linear, they are not straight lines. They start to have curves in the graph, so you can tell visually they are not "linear" like y=mx+b equations.
2007-07-21 20:06:07 · answer #3 · answered by Nghiem E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a linear equation. An equation that can be expressed in the form of ax + b is called a linear equation.
Y = ax + b
In this linear equation 4 is called the slope and -9 the intercept-
2007-07-21 09:51:36 · answer #4 · answered by statisticslab 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's an expression. It needs to be equal to something before it can be an equation.
2007-07-21 09:22:31 · answer #5 · answered by Firebird 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
GIVEN THAT THERE IS NO EQUAL SIGN (=) ANYWHERE, I'D SAY IT'S NOT AN EQUATION.
EQUA; EQUALS; EQUATION
No =, No Equation.
Simple, huh?
2007-07-22 02:46:29 · answer #6 · answered by MALIBU CANYON 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
expression
2007-07-21 10:03:20 · answer #7 · answered by sshearin313 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋