In the context of polynomials, which of the following statements best describes the degree of a polynomial?
Practice Questions
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Q1
In the context of polynomials, which of the following statements best describes the degree of a polynomial?
It is the highest power of the variable in the polynomial.
It is the number of terms in the polynomial.
It is the sum of the coefficients of the polynomial.
It is the product of the roots of the polynomial.
The degree of a polynomial is defined as the highest power of the variable present in the polynomial.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: In the context of polynomials, which of the following statements best describes the degree of a polynomial?
Solution: The degree of a polynomial is defined as the highest power of the variable present in the polynomial.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand what a polynomial is. A polynomial is a mathematical expression that includes variables and coefficients, combined using addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
Step 2: Identify the variables in the polynomial. These are usually represented by letters like x, y, etc.
Step 3: Look for the powers of the variables. The power is the exponent that shows how many times the variable is multiplied by itself.
Step 4: Find the highest power among all the variables in the polynomial. This means you need to compare the powers of each term in the polynomial.
Step 5: The highest power you found is called the degree of the polynomial. This is the key characteristic that defines the polynomial's degree.