Final answer:
The degree of the given polynomial -17y^4 +24q^2 r^2 +rs^3 -qr^2 s^2 is 4, as that is the highest power of any term in the polynomial.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to determine the degree of the polynomial. The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable in any of the terms of the polynomial. Looking at the given polynomial -17y^4 +24q^2 r^2 +rs^3 -qr^2 s^2, the term with the highest power is -17y^4, which has a degree of 4. Therefore, the degree of the polynomial is 4.