How to Solve for Standard Form of Linear Equations

You can find linear equations in algebra textbooks.

Solving for the standard equation of a line is a task that you might be required to perform in a high school or college algebra class. Linear equations have a standard form of ax + by = c. However, many lines are presented in the slope form of y = mx + b. You can solve for the standard form of a linear equation by manipulating the variables and numbers within an equation through basic algebraic operations.

Instructions

1. Bring the x and y terms to the left side of the equal sign and the numerical value ("c") to the right side of the equal sign. For instance, if you have y = 2x + 5, you would rewrite the equation as 2x + y = 5.

2. Change the sign of any term that you move across the equal sign. For example, if you move the 2x term in the equation y = 2x + 5, you will change its sign to a negative one as follows: -2x + y = 5.

3. Simplify the equation if necessary through the use of division or multiplication. For example, if you have 2x + 2y = 4, you can divide the entire equation by 2 to get x + y = 2. If you have 2/5x + y = 2, you can multiply the entire equation by 5 to get 10/5x + 5y = 10, which can be further simplified to 2x + 5y = 10.

References

• Washtenaw Community College: Standard Form For Linear Equations
• West Texas A & M University: Graphing Linear Equations