Question

Which of the following statements about variables is false? a. Mathematical operations can be performed on a variable. b. The variable will always be the letter x. c. A mathematical statement can include more than one variable. d. A variable is a letter used to represent an unknown quantity.

Answer 1

b. The variable will always be the letter x (false)

Explanation:

Variables can be any letter or symbol. The letter x is often used as a variable, but that is not the only choice. Many formulas, for example, make use of variables that have letters reminding you what they stand for.

For example, the formula ...

A = 1/2(b1 +b2)h

uses the variables A, b1, b2, and h to represent area, base-1, base-2, and height, respectively. The letter x is not used at all.