Ashley Holbrooks

Kahoot! Review Game: Characteristics of Polynomials (Answer Sheet)

1.! Identify the degree of the polynomial.

Answer: 3
-! The answer is 3 because it is the highest exponent value when the equation is in
standard form.

2.! If the degree of a polynomial is 5, what is the maximum number of turns it can have?

Answer: 4
-! The maximum number of possible turns a polynomial can have when it is graphed, is
always 1 number less than its degree.

3.! Find the end behavior.

Answer: as x ! -∞, f(x) ! -∞ and as x ! +∞, f(x) ! +∞

-! This is the end behavior because the left side is “falling” which indicates negative,
and the right side of the graph is “rising” which indicates positive.

4.! Find the domain and range.

Answer: Domain: (-∞, +∞) and Range: (0, +∞)

-! The domain is all real numbers. The range starts at 0 because the range is from the
bottom of the graph to the top, and the graph of the polynomial does not start until
y=0.
5.! If the degree of a polynomial is even and the leading coefficient is positive, what is the
end behavior?

Answer: as x ! -∞, f(x) ! +∞ and as x ! +∞, f(x) ! +∞

-! The leading coefficient determines the end behavior of the right side of the graph.
Since the leading coefficient is positive, that indicates that the right side is “rising”
and the end behavior is positive on the right side. The degree then determines if both
end behaviors will be the SAME (even) or if they will be OPPOSITES (odd). The
problem states that the degree of the polynomial is even, so that means the end
behavior on the left side, must be the same as the end behavior on the right side.

6.! Find the intervals of increasing and decreasing.

Answer: Increasing: (-3,-1), (2, +∞) and Decreasing: (-∞,-3), (-1,2)

-! When finding the intervals of increasing and decreasing, we look at where the graph
is “turning” or changing directions. In other words, we look at the vertices on a graph,
and only use the x-coordinate. Using the “roller-coaster method,” we start on the left
side of the graph, which is -∞, and follow it until it changes direction. That will be
our first interval, and we keep following the graph until we reach the +∞ on the right
side. On our graph, we can see that the graph starts by decreasing, and ends by
increasing.

7.! What is the degree of the polynomial?

Answer: 6
-! We find the degree by adding the exponents together. So we would do 1 + 3 + 2 = 6.
8.! Find the zeros and their multiplicity.

Answer: x = 0 (m=1), x = 2 (m=3), x = -5 (m=2)

-! In order to find our zeros, we must solve for x. So, we set x=0, x-2=0, and x+5=0. We
then get our x-values of x=0, x=2, and x= -5. Then, their multiplicity is determined by
the exponent that was attached to the variable. So, the x in the beginning of the
equation, had an exponent of 1, making its multiplicity 1. Next, (x-2) had the
exponent of 3, making its multiplicity 3. Finally, (x+5) had the exponent of 2, making
its multiplicity 2.

9.! Find the y-intercept.

Answer: (0, -5)

-! The y-intercept is where the graph crosses the y-axis and where x=0. In order to find
the y-intercept, we can make x=0. So,
! = 2(0)' + 6 0 − 5,,,, → ,,,,,,,! = −5

10.!Find the x-intercepts.

Answer: (1,0) and (3,0)

-! The x-intercepts are where the graph touches or crosses through the x-axis and y=0.
So, we can solve this by making y=0 and factoring to solve for x.
0 = . ' − 4. + 3
0= .−3 .−1
. − 3 = 0,234, . − 1 = 0
. = 3,234,1