Proof this site sucks I found the answer you seek on Quora:
In the early 1600’s Rene Descartes began to write equations with a great convenience: letters near the end of the alphabet would denote variables, while letters near the beginning would denote constants. That convenience, plus his enormous influence as a mathematician, cemented it forever. (Fortunately, the alphabets in French, Spanish, Latin, English, German, etc. had almost the same order of letters, so no confusion arose.)
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-we-use-XYZ-in-math-as-variables
The basis of mathematics, science and engineering were formed by the Persians and the Arabs and the Turks. The arabic language later was evolved by Europeans since not many had a straight translation regarding pronunciation. This is when different words were derived from greek words.
The word/letter which means "unknown" was translated as they were difficult to pronounce and since there wasn't a straight translation, a greek work was derived to make it easier which looked like x. Thats where people began representing x as an unknown number.
Because it’s just a variable, it could mean any number, which I'm sure you understand. My first algebra teacher used A. it’s just as valid. In the formula above x could equal anything, say x=5 the answer is 14. If x=4 then the answer is 12. I guess it boils down to preferences?
You will start to see more letters used as you continue through math. However, few words start with x; so for equations that are generic x is the best option. Just wait until they start using Greek letters as variables.
Opinion
13Opinion
Because it's the first out of 'x, y, & z,' so it gets used first and will always show up where a number is missing for you to figure out what it is. Gawd I'm glad I don't have to figure out what 3 or more mystery numbers are anymore to come up with an answer for a grade. I've never used anything beyond basic algebra in real life. ... and I have no idea why schools forced the 'find the slope' stuff so hard, when they could've taught me how to do my own taxes or basic accounting instead... didn't learn that stuff until college and that's because I was going to school for accounting... where using your calculator was required.
Because "X" is commonly used for unknown. For example, when X-Rays were discovered, the "rays" were named "X-Rays" by the discoverer because he had no idea what it was
At least that's the explanation i reached when I was curious about this question
X is generally used to mean "unknown", not just in algebra but elsewhere.
I have this book:
I've never looked up the reason myself, but I always assumed it was because most of the earlier letters already had things attributed to them in math or physics. Like a is acceleration (A is amps), c is the speed of light, d is distance, e is the charge of an electron (E is energy), etc (just off of the top of my head) where the letters at the end of the alphabet were largely unused.
Hi, my name is AUGHHH Winstead.
I am AUGHHH years old.
Did I mention to you that I'm AUGHHH.
A few years ago a group of AUGHHH pushed me down a AUGHHH to try and embarrass me.
When I did not come back up, the AUGHHH came.
The AUGHHH said that I had fell and AUGHHH believed them.
The AUGHHH found my AUGHHH in the AUGHHH.
I had a AUGHHH and my AUGHHH was torn off.
In algebra, the letter 'x' is often used to represent an unknown quantity or variable.
I always thought X was the go-to letter when there is only ONE variable to solve for.
When there's more than one variable, you'll see X and Y, or A, B, and C, etc.
@abc3643 I believe this question might interest you.
I had all sorts of math classes in school, and that is one question I never asked.
I guess "x" is something you have to find/something you don't know.
Pirates also used "x" to sign where they dug treasures
In algebra you use a. for multiplication. It's a dot but positioned higher than a period.
interesting, i've never thought about that. i don't know.
Because x stands for the unknown
All letters are used as variables in math.
Maybe because it's easy to write it.
because the people who invented it never heard of abcd or the rest of the alphabet
What about Y?
It is the unknown.
X=8 the answer
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