Regents Exam: Algebra I August 2016 (Problem 28 of 37)

The video tutorial discusses a student's mistake in identifying the leading coefficient of a polynomial. Pat, the student, incorrectly identified -4 as the leading coefficient without writing the polynomial in standard form. The tutorial explains that the leading coefficient is the coefficient of the term with the highest power, which in this case is -2. The video emphasizes the importance of writing polynomials in standard form to correctly identify the leading coefficient.

What was the polynomial product that Pat found?

• -4X + 8X^2 - 2X^3 + 5

• 4X - 8X^2 + 2X^3 - 5

• -4X^2 + 8X - 2X^3 + 5

• 4X + 8X^2 - 2X^3 + 5

What is the leading coefficient of a polynomial?

• The last coefficient in the polynomial

• The first coefficient in the polynomial

• The coefficient of the term with the highest power

• The coefficient of the term with the lowest power

Why was Pat's answer of -4 incorrect for the leading coefficient?

• He did not multiply the polynomials correctly

• He used the wrong polynomial

• He did not write the polynomial in standard form

• He forgot to include the constant term

What should Pat have done to correctly identify the leading coefficient?

• Write the polynomial in standard form

• Add all coefficients together

• Multiply the coefficients by 2

• Ignore the constant term

What is the correct leading coefficient of Pat's polynomial?

• -4

• 8

• -2

• 5