Solution:
The equation given in the image is $$ y = x^2 + 9 $$. This equation represents a quadratic function, which is a type of nonlinear function. The nonlinearity is because the variable $$ x $$ is raised to the second power. Therefore, the correct answer to the question "Which statement explains the type of function that is represented by the equation $$ y = x^2 + 9 $$?" is:D) The function is nonlinear because the variable $$ x $$ is raised to the second power.