Which statement is true about the polynomial [tex]-3x^4y^3 + 8xy^5 - 3 + 18x^3y^4 - 3xy^5[/tex] after it has been fully simplified?

A. It has 3 terms and a degree of 5.
B. It has 3 terms and a degree of 7.
C. It has 4 terms and a degree of 5.
D. It has 4 terms and a degree of 7.



Answer :

To determine the correct statement about the given polynomial [tex]\(-3 x^4 y^3 + 8 x y^5 - 3 + 18 x^3 y^4 - 3 x y^5\)[/tex], we need to simplify it and analyze its terms and degree.

### Step 1: Combine Like Terms
First, combine any like terms in the polynomial. Like terms are those that have the same variables raised to the same powers.

The given polynomial is:
[tex]\[ -3 x^4 y^3 + 8 x y^5 - 3 + 18 x^3 y^4 - 3 x y^5 \][/tex]

Combine the terms [tex]\(8 x y^5\)[/tex] and [tex]\(-3 x y^5\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ 8 x y^5 - 3 x y^5 = 5 x y^5 \][/tex]

Now, rewrite the polynomial with combined like terms:
[tex]\[ -3 x^4 y^3 + 5 x y^5 - 3 + 18 x^3 y^4 \][/tex]

### Step 2: Identify the Number of Unique Terms
After combining like terms, we have:
[tex]\[ -3 x^4 y^3, \quad 5 x y^5, \quad -3, \quad \text{and}, \quad 18 x^3 y^4 \][/tex]

We see that there are 4 unique terms here.

### Step 3: Determine the Degree of the Polynomial
The degree of a polynomial is the highest degree of any term within the polynomial. The degree of a term is the sum of the exponents of the variables in that term.

- For [tex]\(-3 x^4 y^3\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ \text{Degree} = 4 + 3 = 7 \][/tex]

- For [tex]\(5 x y^5\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ \text{Degree} = 1 + 5 = 6 \][/tex]

- For the constant term [tex]\(-3\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ \text{Degree} = 0 \][/tex]

- For [tex]\(18 x^3 y^4\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ \text{Degree} = 3 + 4 = 7 \][/tex]

The highest degree among these is [tex]\(7\)[/tex], hence the degree of the polynomial is [tex]\(7\)[/tex].

### Conclusion
The polynomial after simplification has 4 terms and a degree of 7. Therefore, the correct statement is:

"It has 4 terms and a degree of 7".