College Algebra CLEP Prep Practice Exam

What is the degree of the polynomial 4x + 3x + 2?

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

The correct answer is: 2

The degree of a polynomial is determined by the highest exponent of its terms. In this polynomial, the term with the highest exponent is 4x, which has an exponent of 1 (since x can be written as x^1). The second term, 3x, also has an exponent of 1. When we combine these terms, we add their coefficients, which gives us 7x. Since the highest exponent is still 1, the degree of this polynomial is 1. Option A is incorrect because it is not the highest exponent in the polynomial. Option C is incorrect because it is the total number of terms in the polynomial, not the degree. Option D is incorrect because it is the highest coefficient in the polynomial, not the degree.