What is the general form of a linear equation?

The general form of a linear equation is commonly expressed as ax + by = c, where 'a', 'b', and 'c' are constants and 'x' and 'y' are variables. This format allows for the representation of a linear relationship between x and y in a way that highlights all the terms involved, making it easy to see how changes in x influence y through the coefficients a and b.

In this form, 'a' and 'b' cannot both equal zero (as that would not represent a linear equation), and this representation provides a clear pathway to identify slopes and intercepts when rearranged into slope-intercept form. Additionally, it encompasses various specific cases of linear equations, such as vertical and horizontal lines, depending on the values of 'a' and 'b'.

The other options represent different aspects or forms of linear equations but do not necessarily capture the generality of the linear relationship in the direct manner that ax + by = c does. For instance, while y = mx + c describes a linear equation in slope-intercept form and y - y1 = m(x - x1) is a point-slope form, they are not as broad in application as the general form. Similarly, y = c represents