Joe claims that the equation y = 2x + b, where b is a real number, represents the graph of a straight line.

Which statement best classifies Joe's claim?

A. Joe's claim is true only when b is 0.

B. Joe's claim is true for all values of b.

C. Joe's claim is not true for any value of b.

D. Joe's claim is true only when b is not zero.

1 answer

The equation \( y = 2x + b \) represents the equation of a straight line in slope-intercept form, where the slope is 2 and \( b \) is the y-intercept. This means that regardless of the value of \( b \) (whether it is zero, positive, or negative), the equation still describes a straight line.

Therefore, the best classification of Joe's claim is:

B. Joe's claim is true for all values of b.