Final answer:
In the expression -5x + 8, the coefficient is -5, which is the number multiplied directly by the variable x, while 8 is a constant term, not a coefficient.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the algebraic expression -5x + 8, a coefficient refers to a numerical factor associated with a variable. In this case, the coefficient is the number directly multiplied by the variable x. Therefore, the coefficient is -5.
It's important not to confound coefficients with constant terms, which are numbers that stand alone without variables. In the same expression, 8 is the constant term, not a coefficient.