Final answer:
The leading term of the polynomial h(x) = -5x² + 6x³ + x⁴ is x⁴, as it has the highest exponent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The leading term of a polynomial is the term with the highest power of the variable when the polynomial is written in standard form. For the polynomial h(x) = -5x² + 6x³ + x⁴, the terms are already in descending order of power. Therefore, the leading term is x⁴, because it has the highest exponent, which is 4, indicating it is a fourth-degree term. Leading Term, Descending Order, and Highest Power are important concepts when identifying the leading term of a polynomial.