Question

find the number of terms and the degree of this polynomial.
$-p^{4} + 3p^{2}$
number of terms: $square$
degree: $square$

Explanation:

Step1: Identify terms in polynomial

A term in a polynomial is a single number, variable, or the product of numbers and variables separated by addition or subtraction. In the polynomial \(-p^{4}+3p^{2}\), the terms are \(-p^{4}\) and \(3p^{2}\), so we count them.

Step2: Determine number of terms

Counting the terms we identified, there are 2 terms.

Step3: Find the degree of each term

The degree of a term with a single variable is the exponent of the variable. For \(-p^{4}\), the degree is 4, and for \(3p^{2}\), the degree is 2.

Step4: Determine the degree of the polynomial

The degree of a polynomial is the highest degree among its terms. Comparing 4 and 2, the highest is 4.

Answer:

Number of terms: 2
Degree: 4