Final answer:
The coefficients in the expression -8xy^2 + 5x^2y - 8 are -8 for the first term, 5 for the second term, and the third term is a constant without a variable.
Step-by-step explanation:
The coefficients in the algebraic expression -8xy^2 + 5x^2y - 8 are the numerical factors that multiply the variables. For the first term -8xy^2, the coefficient is -8. For the second term 5x^2y, the coefficient is 5. The third term is a constant and thus does not have a coefficient multiplying a variable, but in context, if we consider the coefficient as a standalone number, it would be -8. Coefficients provide important information about the rate of change and proportional relationships in algebraic expressions.