Final answer:
The degree of the polynomial 8x⁴-3x²-9 is 4. The term with the highest power of x, which is 8x⁴, determines the degree.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves identifying the degree of a polynomial. The given polynomial is 8x⁴-3x²-9. To find the degree, we look for the highest power of the variable x in any term of the polynomial. The term with the highest power of x here is 8x⁴, which means the degree of the polynomial is 4. This is because the degree of a polynomial is defined as the highest exponent on its variable.
When solving quadratic equations, the general form is ax² + bx + c = 0. Solutions to these equations can be found using the quadratic formula, which involves the coefficients of these terms. While the initial polynomial presented isn't a quadratic (as its degree is higher), understanding the process of solving quadratic equations is essential in algebra.