how many solutions are in 6x+35+9x=15(x+4)-25

Question

debbieg · Answer

An equation is an identity if it is true for ALL values of the variable for which both sides are well-defined. E.g., an equation like

2(x+1)=2x+2

is an identity, since it is true for ALL values of x.

Contrast this with a conditional equation, which has one (or possibly more) solutions, but is not an identity. E.g.

2x=10

is true only for x=5, so is a conditional equation with 1 solution.

Since an identity is true for every value of the variable for which both sides are well defined - in the case of the example above, all real numbers - how many solutions does such an equation have?