Final answer:
The statement that the number of roots is equal to the highest degree of an equation is false because the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra includes complex roots and the possibility of repeated roots.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the number of roots in an equation is equal to the highest degree value of that equation is false. While the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra states that a polynomial of degree n has n roots, this includes complex roots, which are not always counted when looking for real, practical solutions. Moreover, some roots may be repeated.
For instance, a quadratic equation of the form ax²+bx+c = 0 has a degree of 2, which implies it can have up to two roots. These roots can be found using the quadratic formula \((-b ± √(b²-4ac)) / (2a). However, the equation's roots could be real or complex, and when based on physical data, only real positive roots might be significant, as in two-dimensional (x-y) graphing.