Answer: formula 9x - 5y = -160 is not a direct variation.
Step-by-step explanation: The provided expression, 9x - 5y = -160, does not exemplify direct variation.
Direct variation is a correlation existing between two variables, wherein one is a constant scalar multiple of the other. Stated differently, should one variable increase by a defined magnitude, the corresponding variable will also experience a commensurate increase of identical magnitude.
The formula provided indicates the absence of a constant proportionality between the temperature in degrees Celsius (x) and the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (y). It is noteworthy that the correlation amidst the variables x and y is non-linear in nature, thereby precluding its representation in the form of a direct proportionality.