List the degree of each term and the degree of the polynomial.
-$$3 x ^ { 8 } y 8 - 3 x ^ { 2 } y ^ { 2 } + 8 x ^ { 3 } y$$
A) $8,2,4$; polynomial: 8
B) $64,4,4$; polynomial: 64
C) 16,4 , 4; polynomial: 16
D) 16,4 , polynomial: 4

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The degree of a term is the sum of the exponents of the variables in that term. Therefore, the degree of the first term is 8+8=16, the degree of the second term is 2+2=4, and the degree of the third term is 3+1=4. The degree of a polynomial is the highest degree of any of its terms, so in this case the degree of the polynomial is 16. Only option C has the correct degrees for each term and the correct degree for the polynomial.

List the Degree of Each Term and the Degree of the Polynomial