These equations are know as linear, because the monomial literal part doesn't have an exponent (for example, 3x can be part of a linear equation, but 3x2 can't because it's quadratic), so represented in a graph appear as a line. This fact assures us that if there is a solution, there can only be one solution (except in special cases were there are infinite solutions). We say if there is a solution because sometimes equations don't have solutions. For example, the equation x = x + 1 (which means a number equals the consecutive number) doesn't have a solution, because this is never true. In reality, this equation is reduced to 1 = 0, which is impossible.