When you look at the standard linear equation, which is written as $ax + b = 0$, you can understand its parts like this:

• $a$: This is called the coefficient of $x$. It tells us how steep the line is.
• $b$: This is a constant. It moves the line up or down on the graph.

Keep in mind, if $a$ is equal to 0, then it’s not a linear equation anymore!