Determine the degree of the polynomial:

Question

Determine the degree of the polynomial:

–3.1ax⁴+2.5ax+2ax⁴+1.1ax⁴–0.5ax–2ax

everything cancels out so how do I figure out degree of the polynomial?

4th is NOT the right answer

Answer 1

It is an odd question, and I'm not completely sure I understand it.

If you simplify the polynomial, you just get 0, which would have a degree of 0.

If you are not supposed to simplify first, then the degree should be 5, as long as a and x are both variables. To get the degree of each term you add the exponents of all of the variables (so that the degree of 24x³y⁶ would be 9.)

Answer 2

If you first simplify the expression, you are left with ZERO, which is a constant, and hence of degree zero.

Answer 3

Do not know what "cancels" means, yet the degree of the polynomial is the highest degree of the individual terms. IN this case it is 4th.