Objectives

Thestudentwillbeableto:
1. find the degree of a polynomial.
2. arrange the terms of a polynomial
in ascending or descending order.
SOL: none

Designed by Skip Tyler,

Varina High School

Whatdoeseachprefixmean?
mono
one
bi
two
tri
three

Whataboutpoly?
oneormore
Apolynomialisamonomialora
sum/differenceofmonomials.
ImportantNote!!
Anexpressionisnotapolynomialif
thereisavariableinthedenominator.

Statewhethereachexpressionis
apolynomial.Ifitis,identifyit.
1)7y3x+4
trinomial
2)10x3yz2
5
3)2 y 2 7 y

monomial
notapolynomial

Whichpolynomialisrepresentedby

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

X
X

1
1

X2

x2+x+1
x2+x+2
x2+2x+2
x2+3x+2
Ivegotnoidea!

Thedegreeofamonomialisthesum
oftheexponentsofthevariables.
Findthedegreeofeachmonomial.
1)5x2
2
2) 4a4b3c
8
3) 3

Tofindthedegreeofapolynomial,
findthelargestdegreeoftheterms.
1)8x22x+7
Degrees:210
Whichisbiggest?2isthedegree!
2)y7+6y4+3x4m4
Degrees:748
8isthedegree!

Findthedegreeofx5x3y2+4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

0
2
3
5
10

Apolynomialisnormallyputin
ascendingordescendingorder.
Whatisascendingorder?
Goingfromsmalltobigexponents.
Whatisdescendingorder?
Goingfrombigtosmallexponents.

Putindescendingorder:
1) 8x3x2+x44
x43x2+8x4
2)Putindescendingorderintermsofx:
12x2y36x3y2+3y2x
6x3y2+12x2y32x+3y

3)Putinascendingorderintermsofy:
12x2y36x3y2+3y2x
2x+3y6x3y2+12x2y3
4) Putinascendingorder:
5a33+2aa2
3+2aa2+5a3

Writeinascendingorderintermsofy:
x4x3y2+4xy2x2y3
1.
2.
3.
4.

x4+4xyx3y22x2y3
2x2y3x3y2+4xy+x4
x4x3y22x2y3+4xy
4xy2x2y3x3y2+x4