Final answer:
The expression 6x^3 – 8x^2 - 4 + 21 contains four terms. Therefore, the true statement is option B) There are four terms. Other options are not accurate descriptions of the expression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The expression given is 6x^3 – 8x^2 - 4 + 21. To determine the true statements about this expression, let's analyze the options provided:
- B) There are four terms. This is true because an algebraic term is a component of an expression separated by a plus or minus sign. In this expression, the four terms are 6x^3, -8x^2, -4, and +21.
- C) The entire expression is a difference. This is false; a difference specifically refers to subtraction, but this expression includes both addition and subtraction.
As for the other options:
- A) There are three terms. This is incorrect as we have already established that there are four terms.
- D) The term 40 is a ratio. This statement is unrelated to the expression we are evaluating, and the term 40 does not appear in the expression.
Therefore, the correct statements about the expression are B) There are four terms and none of the other options provided are true statements regarding this expression. It's also important to eliminate irrelevant information and focus on the given expression to simplify our algebra and check if our conclusions are reasonable.