College

Choose the expression that represents a linear expression.

A. [tex]-17x^4 - 18x^3 + 19x^2 - 20x + 21[/tex]

B. [tex]18x^3 + 19x^2 - 20x + 21[/tex]

C. [tex]23x^2 + 24x - 25[/tex]

D. [tex]4x + 4[/tex]

Answer :

To determine which expression represents a linear expression, we need to understand what a linear expression is. A linear expression is a polynomial of degree 1. This means that the highest power of the variable [tex]\( x \)[/tex] is 1.

Let's analyze each option:

a) [tex]\(-17x^4 - 18x^3 + 19x^2 - 20x + 21\)[/tex]

- The highest power of [tex]\( x \)[/tex] here is 4, which is not 1. Therefore, this is not a linear expression.

b) [tex]\(18x^3 + 19x^2 - 20x + 21\)[/tex]

- The highest power of [tex]\( x \)[/tex] is 3, which is not 1. Hence, this is not a linear expression.

c) [tex]\(23x^2 + 24x - 25\)[/tex]

- The highest power of [tex]\( x \)[/tex] is 2, which is not 1. So, this is not a linear expression.

d) [tex]\(4x + 4\)[/tex]

- The highest power of [tex]\( x \)[/tex] is 1. Therefore, this is a linear expression.

Thus, the expression that represents a linear expression is option d: [tex]\(4x + 4\)[/tex].