Final answer:
Yes, y can equal zero in a linear equation. This occurs when the line represented by the equation crosses the x-axis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Can y equal zero in a linear equation? The answer is b. Yes. In the context of linear equations, which are generally written in the form y = a + bx, the variable y can indeed be zero.
This would be the case when the line crosses the x-axis on a graph, which is also where the equation would have its root. A linear equation represents a straight line on a graph, and this line can intersect with the y-axis at any y-coordinate, including zero.
The y-intercept of a linear equation is the y-coordinate of the point where the line crosses the y-axis, which is represented by 'a' in the equation.
If 'a' is zero, the line crosses the origin (0,0), but even with a non-zero y-intercept, the line will cross the x-axis at some point (unless the slope, represented by 'b', is zero which creates a horizontal line).