What is the degree of the polynomial 3x^4 + 2x^2 - x + 5?

The degree of a polynomial is defined as the highest power of the variable in the expression. In the polynomial given, 3x^4 + 2x^2 - x + 5, we can examine each term:

• The term 3x^4 has a degree of 4.

• The term 2x^2 has a degree of 2.

• The term -x can be rewritten as -1x^1, which has a degree of 1.

• The constant term 5 has a degree of 0.

Among these terms, the term with the highest degree is 3x^4, which is raised to the power of 4. Therefore, the degree of the entire polynomial is 4. This is why the correct answer is recognized as 4, which indicates that it is the most significant term, determining the polynomial's overall degree.