Question 57·Hard·Linear Equations in One Variable
The equation , where and are constants, has infinitely many solutions.
Which of the following must be true?
I.
II.
III.
For SAT questions about linear equations with parameters that "have infinitely many solutions" or "are true for all real numbers," rewrite both sides in standard form and match coefficients. Expand any parentheses, then compare the -coefficients and constant terms to get simple equations in the parameters. Solve those quickly, and then test each statement or answer choice against the resulting parameter values instead of trying to solve for directly.
Hints
Use the structure of the equation
First expand the right-hand side of so that both sides look like "something times plus a constant."
Recall the condition for infinitely many solutions
Think about when an equation like is true for every possible . What must be true about and , and about and ?
Set up equations for the parameters
After you expand, compare the coefficients of on both sides to get one equation, and compare the constant terms to get a second equation involving and .
Connect back to the statements I, II, and III
Once you solve for and , check each of I, II, and III against those values and see which ones must always hold.
Desmos Guide
Enter both sides as functions
In Desmos, type f(x) = 7x + m and on the next line type g(x) = n(x + 2). Desmos will create sliders for and .
Interpret infinite solutions graphically
Remember that an equation has infinitely many solutions when its two sides represent the same line on a graph, so you are looking for and to lie exactly on top of each other for all .
Adjust sliders to make the lines coincide
Use the sliders for and to adjust their values until the graphs of and are indistinguishable (they overlap completely).
Read off the parameter values
When the two graphs coincide, look at the slider values of and —these are the values that make the equation true for all , and you can then check which of I, II, and III match those values.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what “infinitely many solutions” means
A linear equation in one variable, like , has infinitely many solutions only if it is an identity—that is, both sides are the same expression for every value of .
That happens only when the coefficients of are equal and the constant terms are equal.
Rewrite the given equation to compare both sides
Start with the equation:
Distribute on the right-hand side:
Now both sides are in the form “(coefficient) + constant,” which makes it easy to compare.
Match coefficients and constants
For the equation
to be true for all , the -coefficients must be equal and the constant terms must be equal:
- Coefficient of :
- Constant term:
Substitute from the first equation into the second to find .
Determine which statements must be true
From the coefficient comparison:
- , so statement I () is true.
- Then , so statement II () is also true.
- Statement III () directly contradicts , so it must be false.
Therefore, the statements that must be true are I and II only.