Question

Garcia wrote the equation y=-0.2x^2+5x-8 to model the path of a soccer ball. What is true about the expression -0.2x^2+5x-8?

A. The express has a leading coefficent of 5.
B. The express has a constant of 2.
C. The express has 3 terms.
D. The expression has a factor of -0.2x^2.

Answer 1

Explanation:

A. The leading coefficient is the number on the highest degree term. We have a 2nd degree polynomial because of the power of 2 on the x. That's what leads this polynomial off. So the leading coefficient is the number stuck to that x-squared term. Our leading coefficient is a -.2, not 5. 5 is the linear term.

B. The constant is the number that doesn't have a variable stuck to it. Our constant, then, is -8, not 2.

C. The expression does in fact have 3 terms. Each term is separated from the other terms by either a plus sign or a minus sign. A polynomial with 3 terms is called a trinomial.

D. The expression actually factors to x = 1.718... and x = 23.281... Neither one of those is the factor given in the statement.

The only one that is true is C.