Question

Identifying the Coefficients and Constanta

Consider the quadratic function f(x) = x2 – 5x + 6.
What are the values of the coefficients and constant in the function?

Answer 1

coefficients: 1, -5

constant: 6

Explanation:

The coefficients are the numbers in front of the variables* in each variable term. Here, they are 1 and -5. The coefficient of x² is 1; the coefficient of x in the term -5x is -5.

As you can see, a coefficient of 1 is rarely written.

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The constant is the value of the term with no variables. Here, the constant is +6.

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* Please note that a coefficient can appear anywhere in the product that is a term: -5x = (x)(-5). This means the term x2 that you have written could also be interpreted as meaning 2x. If you mean the 2 in x2 to be an exponent (as we have assumed), then it should be written x^2 or as a superscript: x².