Which of the following is a linear equation?

A linear equation is one that can be represented in the form , where is the slope and is the y-intercept. For example, the equation can be rearranged to this form, making it a linear equation. In contrast, equations that include exponents, products of variables, or absolute values typically are not linear!

One common mistake is confusing linear equations with equations that look similar, like . Remember, if you see a variable raised to a power other than one, it’s likely not linear! A great tip is to always try to rearrange the equation into the slope-intercept form to confirm whether it’s linear.