To classify the polynomial expression by the number of terms, let's first break down the polynomial given:
[tex]\[ 2x^5 - 5x^3 - 3x^2 \][/tex]
Here’s a step-by-step approach to identify and count the terms:
1. Identify and List the Terms:
- The polynomial is given in standard form, where each term is separated by a plus or minus sign.
- This polynomial expression can be divided into individual terms as follows:
- [tex]\( 2x^5 \)[/tex]: This is the first term.
- [tex]\(- 5x^3 \)[/tex]: This is the second term.
- [tex]\(- 3x^2 \)[/tex]: This is the third term.
2. Counting the Number of Terms:
- From the breakdown above, we can count the individual terms.
- We have:
1. [tex]\( 2x^5 \)[/tex]
2. [tex]\(- 5x^3 \)[/tex]
3. [tex]\(- 3x^2 \)[/tex]
Therefore, there are [tex]\(3\)[/tex] terms in the polynomial expression.
So, the polynomial expression [tex]\( 2x^5 - 5x^3 - 3x^2 \)[/tex] has [tex]\(\boxed{3}\)[/tex] terms.
