Question

1. what is the leading coefficient of the polynomial $5x^4 - 3x^3 + 2x^2 - 1?$

a. 2
b. -3
c. 5
d. -1

Explanation:

Step1: Identify highest degree term

The polynomial is $5x^4 - 3x^3 + 2x^2 - 1$. The term with the highest exponent (degree) is $5x^4$.

Step2: Extract leading coefficient

The leading coefficient is the coefficient of the highest degree term.

Answer:

c. 5